Visakhapatnam: Dasari Ravi Babu, a DSP-rank police officer, has been named the prime accused in the murder of rowdy-sheeter Kopperla Satyanarayana Raju alias Gedela Raju . The Vizag city police claimed to have solved the mystery behind the murder by nabbing nine accused in the case on Saturday.
D. Nagendra Kumar, joint commissioner of police, said that on October 7, a partially-burnt body of a man was found near the Galli Bheemavaram area under Sabbavaram police station that was later identified to be of Gedela Raju. On the same day, Gedela Raju’s wife K. Kumari lodged a missing complaint with the New Port police.
According to police, Gedela Raju was murdered as he was threatening the Mr Ravi Babu and demanding money in connection with the murder of a woman. Police said that Mr Ravi Babu, who was ACP, Madhurawada in 2016, was suspended following a complaint by K. Padmalatha, daughter of former MLA of Payakraopeta K. Nookaraju.
In her complaint, Padmalatha had alleged that Mr Ravi Babu had an affair with her and had promised to marry her. Police said that Mr Ravi Babu decided to eliminate her with the help of Raju as she was staying in his house.
Gedela Raju’s murder had attracted public attention due to the involvement of Mr Ravi Babu, who is posted as vigilance officer in APSRTC, and Bhupathiraju Srini-vasa Raju, editor and managing director of Kshatriya Bheri, a Vizag-based daily.
The police arrested nine persons, including contract killer S. Ramesh, who was hired by Mr Ravi Babu and Mr Srinivasa Raju to eliminate Gedela Raju. Ramesh charged Rs 4 lakh for the murder, police said.
Three accused are still at large.
