This Article is From Jan 06, 2021

Former Andhra Minister Arrested For Alleged Kidnapping Over Land Dispute

The brothers were abducted late Tuesday night by a group of men who entered their Hyderabad house posing as Income Tax officers. The police rescued them within hours after a phone call from their family, who had been locked inside their house.

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India News Reported by , Edited by
Hyderabad:

High drama in the case of overnight kidnapping and rescue gripped the state of Telangana on Wednesday. The accused in the case is a former minister of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, who allegedly got three men abducted over a disputed piece of land that is worth Rs 200 crore.

Former TDP minister Bhuma Akhila Priya has been arrested by the Hyderabad Police for the abduction of the three brothers, including former hockey player Praveen Rao.

Other accused in the case are her husband Bhargav Ram and AV Subba Reddy, a close associate of her father and senior TDP leader Bhuma Nagi Reddy.

According to the police, the brothers were kidnapped by a group of 10-15 men who came to their Hyderabad house around 7 PM on Tuesday. They posed as Income Tax officers, and even showed a fake warrant, they said.

"The kidnappers said they were there to conduct raids and that they had a warrant. They then took the brothers away; they had come in three vehicles," said state Excise Minister Srinivas Goud who reached the Rao brothers' house with senior police officers, including Hyderabad police commissioner.

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The abductors also locked the remaining family members in separate rooms, said the police, who chased and tracked the kidnappers within three hours and rescued the brothers.

According to the police, they got information about the incident around 11 PM, and the brothers were rescued by 3 AM.

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The brother reportedly told the police that they were forced to sign on some blank sheets.

According to the police, there is a dispute between Ms Priya and the brothers over 50 acres of land worth Rs 200 crore.

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After her arrest, Ms Priya was taken to the Gandhi Hospital where she reportedly suffered fits and fainted.

"Incidentally, six months ago, Subba Reddy had accused Ms Priya and her husband, who is missing, of conspiring to kill him," Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar said.

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The police are on the lookout for more people named in the case.

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