Case cracked: Vikram was seeking sympathy of financers

Hyderabad: According to the police, the main intention of the Youth Congress leader M. Vikram Goud in staging a shoot-out, with him playing the victim, was to gain public sympathy since he is lobbying for an MLA ticket and also to earn the sympathy of financiers to whom he owed money.

Mr Goud has invested several crores of rupees in mining projects in Odisha, and was in debt. He thought he could gain the sympathy of financiers by being seen as the victim of a shooting, investigation officials revealed a day after they arrested five people in connection with the shooting case.

Hyderabad commissioner of police M. Mahender Reddy said that Mr Goud had confessed that he had invested a lot of money in mining in Odisha, and in some other businesses, with a person named Sambasiva Rao. He owed huge debts to different financiers.

“He wanted to take back his investments from many of those ventures. He believed that if his plan was successful, he would get his money back and the financiers will not pressurise him for money.” The commissioner said that Mr Goud also thought that the police would suspect that his rivals were involved in the attack and go after them.

“Vikram was hoping to get a gun licence and a bodyguard for himself. By staging this attack, he thought he would show he needed personal protection and would get a gun licence,” the commissioner added.

According to police officials, Mr Goud was not sure he would get an MLA ticket because he had failed spectacularly in the GHMC elections.

“He thought after this attack, he would gain support and sympathy of his family members, friends and the general public,” the commissioner said.

Mr Goud had been shot at thrice at his home last Friday and was taken to the hospital by his wife. The police believe the Youth Congress leader had arranged for the shooting.