Congress leader's son confesses to killing business partner

Senior Congress leader K Keshava Rao's son Venkat Rao has confessed to having murdered his business partner and realtor Prashant Reddy, say police sources.

Senior Congress leader K Keshava Rao's son Venkat Rao has confessed to having murdered his business partner and realtor Prashant Reddy, police sources said.

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Giving a dramatic turn to the case, Venkat Rao made the confession before the officials of Crime Investigation Department (CID) that he shot dead Prashant over a dispute relating to a land deal, they said.

Venkat Rao and his family have so far been claiming that Prsahant committed suicide due to personal problems.

Venkat's statement was leaked to the media in Hyderabad but his counsel said it was a conspiracy by the CID to frame his client. "The statement will have no value in court as it has no signatures of my client," said lawyer Venkatesh.

Keshava Rao, a member of the Rajya Sabha who resigned as Andhra Pradesh unit of Congress party in the wake of murder charges against his son, still maintained that he was innocent. He alleged that it was a conspiracy by the CID.

Venkat, who had called Prashant to his flat at the upmarket Jubliee Hills in Hyderabad on Sep 9, allegedly shot him dead from his licensed revolver. He later got himself admitted to a hospital due to 'shock'.

The police registered a case of murder against Venkat on a complaint by Prashant's family members. The Congress government transferred the case to the CID. He was arrested from the hospital the next day and on Sep 12, the court sent him to judicial custody for two weeks.

Since Prashant received the gunshot on his temple, Venkat and his family members kept claiming that it was a suicide as he was depressed. The forensic report had also indicated that it was a case of suicide.

Three days ago, the CID took Venkat to the scene and questioned him. He had alleged in the court on Friday that CID officials were threatening to implicate him in more cases if he refused to heed them.