Teja denies taking help from Bhanu

HYDERABAD: Noted director Teja on Saturday denied that he had approached gangster Bhanu Kiran to settle a property dispute. Bhanu in his reported confession to CID said that he was approached by Teja to settle a property dispute. In his confession, Bhanu, however, told the CID that he did not play a direct role in settling the issue. He reportedly told the CID that his associate Ediga Srikanth Goud had said that he would look into the issue.
Director Teja told STOI that he had never approached Bhanu or any of his associates. "There is no truth in it whatsoever. If the issue was settled, then why did the matter go to court? This itself means that there was no attempt from my side to get anybody's involvement in it to settle the property dispute," Teja said.
The matter pertains to a property dispute between Teja and another producer Chadalavada Srinivasa Rao. When allegations against Teja surfaced last year, the CID had summoned the filmmaker and questioned him about the issue. Teja said he met CID officials second time but the officials reportedly said there was no need to question him again.
However, now in the wake of the reported confession made by Bhanu about his involvement in Tollywood affairs, the CID may again question all the people, whose names have come out in Bhanu's confession, including Teja. "If I am called again, I will certainly cooperate with the investigating agency," Teja said.
There is also some confusion about which producer Bhanu was referring to when he said he settled a seven-acre land dispute near Chirec International School at Serilingampally for him. He had named a producer called Sivaramakrishna. "It's not me. I never approached Bhanu and I do not have any land in the place that has been mentioned," said Burgupalli Sivaramakrishna. He said if it was some other Sivaramakrishna, it would be up to CID to find out who it is.