APCC chief's son taken into CBCID custody

Hyderabad, Sep 11 (UNI) The CBCID today took into custody Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President K Keshava Rao's son Venkat.

He was picked up by the police last night in connection with a murder case, after the state government decided to hand over the case to the Crime Investigation Department, even as Venkat claimed that it was a suicide.

Police said the CID officials had taken Venkat into custody at Banjara Hills police station, where they questioned him.

The CID officials also conducted searches in Venkat's house, where his realtor friend Prashant Reddy was shot dead on September nine. A pistol and a few other things, recovered from the house, were submitted in a local court.

Earlier, Venkat told newspersons here that Reddy committed suicide by shooting himself with his revolver.

He said ''Prashant was facing family problems as he had two wives. He was in a state of depression due to domestic disputes.

He committed suicide by shooting himself with my revolver.'' Describing Reddy as a close friend, he said Reddy used to come to his house regularly. They had no disputes and were having good relations for the past several years.

''Let the police investigate the case. The truth will come out only after completion of the investigation. I have given all information on the incident to the police,'' he said.

Based on a complaint from Reddy's parents, Banjara Hills police had registered a murder case against Venkat and picked him up immediately after he was discharged from a corporate hospital yesterday.

UNI