Prime car blast suspect surrenders

Based on the clues provided by Ravi, who is recovering from nose fracture, the police launched a massive manhunt to track down the killers who triggered the explosives-laden stationary Fiat car with a remote control device near a film studio. Film star and MP Mohanbabu was among the injured.

Ramana Reddy, who was staying in Cuddapah MP Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s house here, called up the Director General of Police H J Dora and offered to surrender, the CM said. Ravi, a faction leader from Rayalaseema representing Penugonda constituency, had named Reddy and his close associate Suryanarayana Reddy as main suspects in masterminding the attack.

Meanwhile, a special police team has been despatched to Bangalore to trace details of the explosives-laden Fiat car which was found to be registered in Karnataka with its original owner being a resident of Bangalore. It was found that the original owner of the 1982-model car Kamal Kanwar had sold it to an automobile dealer in Bangalore before migrating to Malaysia about two years ago, the CM said.

“We are investigating into subsequent transactions to zero in on the culprits. We are confident of nabbing them at the earliest”, Naidu said.

Replying to a five-and-half-hour long acrimonious debate on the issue, marked by mutual hurling of charges by Congress and treasury benches, the CM said his government was determined to stamp out faction violence and maintain law and order at any cost.

“There is a limit to politics. You (Congress) cannot indulge in mud-slinging even on a grim matter like this”, Naidu said in an emotion-chocked voice. There were enough clues to establish the links and modus operandi of the killers and culprits would be brought to book by tomorrow, he said.

Announcing Rs one lakh ex-gratia to the families of the dead, the CM said the hospital expenses for the injured would be completely borne by the government.