Hyderabad: Former AP Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy missed the KBR Park incident on Wednesday by minutes.
The former CM, who is a regular walker at KBR Park and a distant relative of Nityananda Reddy, had greeted the latter before leaving for his residence at around 7.10 am, minutes before the attack.
Mr Nityananda Reddy is also from Peluru, Chittoor district, which Kiran Kum-ar Reddy earlier represented.
Wednesday’s attack proves the security lapse at one of Hyderabad’s prime locations frequently visited by VVIPs. Any one can enter the park that is packed with top officials of the state by just purchasing a Rs 20 ticket. The stretch is used by the CMs of two states, ministers, MLA, IAS, IPS, top business tycoons, CEOs, film personalities, social-ites and international guests as well.
The national park is located opposite Telugu Desam Bhavan and has two entries. One of them is just a few yards away from actor-cum-MLA Balakris-hna’s house. The KBR Park is also near Telangana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s earlier residence and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu’s house, which is always packed with security guards.
Some of the regular walkers at the park include Mr Naidu’s daughter-in-law Brahmani Naidu, producer D. Suresh Babu, IPS officer A.K. Khan, IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan, former Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar, retired IG Dr C.R. Naidu, former home minister Mysoora Reddy etc.
KBR Park walkers meanwhile questioned the dysfunction of the police outpost opposite the TD office. There have been no police guards at the outpost for three weeks now, they said. Moreover, there are no metal detectors at both the entrances of the park. The inside track is guarded by forest officials and outside track by two guards. The guards at the gate only issue tickets and are not equipped to check visitors.
“There are police guards at the outpost. Entrances need to be monitored. There should be a team patrolling the park from 5 am to 10 am and from 4 am to 9 pm,” said Rama Chandra Reddy, president of KBR’s Walkers Association.
