It was like any other Wednesday morning for walkers at the KBR Park at Banjara Hills till the sound of gunshots reverberated as an unidentified person opened fire at Aurobindo Pharma managing director Nityananda Reddy’s car.
KBR Park is known for its high-profile crowd with actors and politicians coming for their morning walks with their armed bodyguards. But what was considered a safe place is now shrouded in fear and panic.
Lata Reddy, a city-based entrepreneur, is regularly spotted at the park. “I go for my morning walks at around 6 am; on Wednesday when I stepped outside the park, I saw a lot of onlookers and police gathered near the parking area. I assumed there was a road accident. But then I saw Nityananda Reddy and concerned people sitting on the pavement. The gentleman’s car was parked right behind mine and that was the reason I managed to see what was going on,” says Lata. “The thought that anybody could have been injured in the shooting is quite scary. I go there everyday and this incident took place in broad light. I am now going to think twice before I head towards that place, and, yes, I am going to be doubly careful from now on,” she says.
It was within 15 minutes after designer Jayanti Reddy left the park that the incident took place. “I usually go for walks in the evening, but since the past one week I have started going in the morning as the weather has been pleasant. I left the park at 7.20 am and within 10-15 minutes I started getting news updates on my phone about the shooting. I was extremely shocked... I mean, I was at the exact same place just minutes ago,” says Jayanti. “The place has always been considered so safe as there are always so many people walking around. It’s just shocking.”
From the movie industry, producer Dil Raju and Suresh Babu usually frequent the park and like the rest of the city, they too are surprised beyond belief. “I was not there when the incident happened. I completed my walk at 7 am and left immediately as I had to take a flight to Chennai. But I really hope the security will be beefed up at the park. Incidents like these are bound to haunt people, but hopefully things will be normal soon,” says Dil Raju.
Suresh Babu too feels that such incidents by "idiots" shouldn’t make one live in fear. “This incident is very unfortunate and very bad for the city. Government should take strict action and remove anyone who has guns in this town. But I am still going to go to the same place for my walks. We should not let fear overpower us and tomorrow I hope more than the usual number of people turns up at KBR,” he says.
