Clinching proof against IAS officer and son in murder case

HYDERABAD: Though IAS officer D Venkateshwar Rao claimed he was innocent and was 'fixed' for not greasing the palms of the men in khaki, police said they had clinching evidence against him and his son D Venkata Sukruth in the murder of 26-year-old driver B Nagaraju at Yousufguda.
After committing the murder around 11 pm on March 17, Sukruth called his father twice, police said.“The 19-year-old main accused, Venkata Sukruth, and the victim went to the terrace of Sai Kalyan Residency at Yousufguda at 10.28 pm and Sukruth alone left the apart.Subsequent at 11.33 pm. Subsequently, Sukruth called his father twice around 12.20 am. Again at 1.25 am, Sukruth returned to the apartment to check if Nagaraju was alive and left the building at 1.29 am on March 18,“ Jubilee Hills inspector S Venkat Reddy said. Subsequently , on March 18 night, Sukruth, Rao and their yet-to-be identified associate, started in Hyundai i 10 car from the IAS officer's house at Greenland Colony in Ameerpet to Madhura Nagar flat of Sukruth's mother. At the flat, they picked up the officer's younger son, Shashank, and went to Sai Kalyan Residency .
Shashank was with his friend, P Shyam Sunder, at the Madhura Nagar flat. He asked Shyam to stay till he returned.Police have Shyam Sundar's statement to buttresses their claims. When Sukruth ran away from the apartment after he was confronted by residents while he was moving the body of the driver, the IAS officer and his associate also fled from the place.“While Sukruth went to his father's house at Ameerpet, the officer joined his younger son and associate, both waiting in the parked car, and drove towards the Madhura Nagar flat. The other man disembarked from the car midway , while the IAS officer and his younger son went to their Madhura Nagar flat,“ a police source said.
After reaching the flat, Shashank asked his friend Shyam Sundar if Sukruth had come there. “When Shyam Sundar said no, the IAS officer and Shashank decided to go to their Ameerpet house. Shyam who also accompanied them saw Sukruth waiting there at the Ameerpet house,“ deputy commissioner of police (DCP), West Zone, A Venkateswar Rao told TOI.
Police also found threatening text messages sent to Shyam to keep quiet about the episode. Apart from that, the footage of CCTV cameras installed in and around Sai Kalyan Residency apartment also captured the visuals of Sukruth, his father and their associates on March 18 night. A fruit vendor, Suresh, who was sleeping in front of the apartment, also identified Venkateshwar Rao and Sukruth, the inspector said.
“The cell phones of all the accused remained switched off between 11 pm and 12.20 pm on March 1819 intervening night and the IAS officer came to the Jubilee Hills police station on March 19 morning to lodge a missing complaint about driver Nagaraju,“ the DCP said.
Police launched a manhunt to nab the IAS officer's associate, who accompanied them. Interestingly , the IAS officer had earlier worked as a sub-inspector for two years at the Market police station in Secunderabad. He was later booked by ACB in a disproportionate assets (DA) case when he was in the revenue service and posted in Visakhapatnam. The two were shifted to Chanchalguda jail after court remanded them in 14-day judicial custody.