Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya, her husband Bharghav Ram were among ten people who were arrested for kidnapping a hockey player and some of their relatives on Wednesday. The former minister was arrested in connection with the kidnapping of three people — Praveen Rao, Sunil Rao and Naveen Rao — who are said to be close to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Addressing the media, Hyderabad Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that during the initial questioning, “it was clear that Bhuma Akhila Priya and her husband along with others are involved in this.”
The police commissioner said that 15 teams were pressed into action to investigate the kidnapping case and CCTV footage was also retrieved. “Three accused — AV Subba Reddy, Bhuma Akhila Priya and Bharghav Ram — have been arrested. The criminals were left with no option. Around 3.30 am, they released those kidnapped at Narsingi, Kokapet. They switched on their cell phones and got their locations. In record time the case has been solved,” the Hyderabad police commissioner said
Bhuma Akhila Priya was arrested from her residence in Kukatpally at 11.20 am on Wednesday, the police commissioner added. “She was then brought to Bowenpally police station, around 12:40 pm, an arrest warrant was issued. She is in police custody,” he added. The kidnapping was allegedly over a land dispute and the kidnappers reportedly forced Praveen Rao and his brothers to sign a few documents. The police said that three brothers were kidnapped in a filmy style from their residence in Bowenpally in Secunderabad on Tuesday night. A group of 15 to 20 people came to their house and introduced themselves as income tax officials. They even produced fake search warrants and two of them were in police uniform.
Praveen contacted his other brother Pratap Rao, a lawyer living in Mahabubnagar. Pratap Rao was monitoring CCTV footage from his mobile phone and since the ‘IT sleuths’ had produced the search warrants, he asked his brothers to cooperate in the search.
They took mobile phones, laptops and other gadgets of all the family members saying this was part of the procedure followed during searches.
Pratap Rao said after 15-20 minutes the CCTV cameras were switched off and when he tried to contact his brothers, they were not reachable. He grew suspicious and contacted income tax authorities, who clarified that the department was not conducting any search. He informed family friends MP Maloth Kavitha and state minister Srinivasa Goud, who alerted top police officials.
