Government offers probe into Andhra jail murder

Hyderabad, Nov 12 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Wednesday said it was ready to order a probe by a retired judge of the state high court into the murder of Moddu Seenu in Anantapur jail.

Julakunti Srinivas Reddy alias Moddu Seen Seenu, a key accused in the murder of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former state minister Paritala Ravi, was allegedly murdered by a co-prisoner Sunday.

The sensational murder sparked a major political row in the state with the TDP alleging that the Congress government got him murdered to wipe out evidence in Ravi's murder case and thus shield Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Panchayat Raj Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy.

Home minister K. Jana Reddy told reporters here that the government had nothing to do with the murder and was ready to order a probe by a retired judge. He, however, turned down the demand by the opposition parties for an inquiry by a sitting judge.

'The high court and the Supreme Court have already made it clear that they can't spare sitting judges for the probe and hence the government can't order probe by a sitting judge,' he said.

The home minister alleged that the TDP was making baseless allegations to derive political mileage and claimed that the government was for a transparent probe into the incident.

Seenu, a sharpshooter, was allegedly murdered by a co-prisoner by hitting on his head with dumbbells and iron rods in Anantapur district jail Sunday. Four other prisoners were also present in the same barrack.

Seenu's family pointed finger at Suryanarayana Reddy alias Suri, the prime accused in Ravi murder case. It alleged that Suri, lodged at the same jail, got Seenu killed as the latter wanted to turn approver in the case.

With Seenu's murder, the factional violence in Anantapur district once again raised its ugly head. Anantapur and three other districts are notorious for bloody factional fighting for several decades.

Paritala Ravi, a former minister and a notorious warlord, was gunned down in Anantapur town Jan 24, 2005. Seenu confessed to have shot dead Ravi at the behest of Suri.

The state government had ordered probe by the CBI into Ravi's killing after Ravi's family and the TDP alleged that the chief minister's son and a state minister were behind the murder.