Vanama Raghava arrested

Finally, Vanama Raghavendra Rao alias Raghava, son of TRS MLA Vanama Venkateswar Rao, was arrested by the police in connection with the sensational Paloncha suicides case.

After a massive manhunt across the two Telugu states, the police arrested him on Friday night at Dammapeta in Kothagudem district, and shifted him to Kothagudem. He was produced in a court today.

The court, after hearing the arguments, sent Raghava to a 14-day judicial remand.

The police then shifted him to the Bhadrachalam sub-jail as per the court's directions, according to reports.

He was shown as accused number 2 in the FIR filed by the police.

The police also arrested three more accused in the suicide case.

The suicide of businessman M Naga Ramakrishna and his three family members created a sensation in the entire state.

Before killing himself and his family by triggering an LPG cylinder blast, Ramakrishna took a selfie video and levelled serious allegations against Raghava.

He said that Raghava had tortured him mentally and had sought sexual favours from his wife as part of resolving a property dispute in the family of Ramakrishna, and that he (Ramakrishna) was taking the extreme step as he was not able to bear the torture of the MLA's son.

He also said that Raghava had an "illicit relation" with his sister Madhavi for 20 years, and had the support of his sister Madhavi and mother Suryavathi on the asset case.

He said that he was resorting to getting his entire family to die along with him as Rao would not spare them after he died.

Speaking after the arrest, ASP Rohith Raj told media persons that Raghava was named in about 12 cases.

Raj added that Raghava had admitted that he had harassed Ramakrishna.

Earlier, Venkateswar Rao had expressed displeasure at his son's alleged actions, and offered to get his son to surrender - however, he clearly wasn't able to impose upon his son.

A couple of days back, the TRS had suspended Raghava from the party fold for the acts.