Paritala Ravindra - Death

Death

Paritala Ravindra, was killed in a crude bomb attack in Anantapur town on 24 January 2005. The assailants, lying in wait, hurled bombs at him as soon as he came out of the TDP office in the town after attending a meeting. He died on the spot, while several others, including his gunmen and private security guards were injured. Paritala Ravindra's supporters alleged the hand of his Congress rivals behind the murder.

The Anantapur District Court on 25 August 2011, sentenced 8 people to life imprisonment, for the brutal murder of TDP MLA Paritala Ravi. The Court also acquitted 4 persons in the case. There were a total of 16 accused in the case. Of them, 3 have been brutally killed, and one has turned approver. Following sharp criticism from Opposition parties, the then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ordered a CBI probe into the murder. However, before the CBI could begin investigations, one of the accused, M Rekhamaiah, surrendered before the Mahabubnagar police. The next week, 8 other accused surrendered. One of the prime accused, Joolakanti Srinivasa Reddy alias Moddu Seenu, claimed in a television interview that it was he who had shot Paritala Ravi dead. But on 9 November 2008, he was killed in the Anantapur jail by his rivals. The main accused in the case, Maddelacheruvu Suri, was murdered by his aide Bhanu Prakash on 4 January this year in Hyderabad for unknown reasons. The court delivered the verdict after examining 133 witnesses, including Paritala's father-in-law Kondanna, in the case. The court has convicted 8 accused - Hanumantha Reddy, Peddi Reddy, O B Reddy, Vadde Konda, Vadde Srinivasulu, Rekamayya, Narayana Reddy and Ranga Nayukul - and the approver was Rammohan Reddy. 4 accused - G B Reddy, Anand Reddy (Rice Mama), Ramaswamy and Patola Govardhan Reddy - have been acquitted.

The criminal element in politics of Andhra Pradesh was in full view on January 24, 2005. when hired killers hurl bombs near party office and gunned down the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator Paritala Ravindra. The brutality of the murder, in broad daylight was sensational. According to media all this assassination was planned in Anathapuram jail and major ruling party leaders assisted in executing this.

Before his assassination the TDP voiced its fears about possible attempts by his numerous enemies to kill him. As per media at least 12 attempts are made to assassinate Paritala Ravindra in a span of 10 years which he survived . Soon after the Congress came to power in the State in May 2004, the heavy security cover that Ravi had was drastically scaled down. He then petitioned the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which ordered restoration of the 10 gunmen earlier deployed for his protection.

Maddelacheruvu Suri tried to take vengeance by triggering a remote-controlled car bomb in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, in 1997 but missed his target, Paritala Ravi, who was then producing a movie called Sri Ramulayya based on his father's struggle against landlords.

But before the Central Bureau of Investigation could start investigations, one of the accused, M. Rekhamaiah, surrendered to the Mahabubnagar police. Within a week, eight of the alleged conspirators had surrendered. While Joolakanti Srinivasa Reddy, a.k.a. Moddu Seenu (who was later killed in Anantapur jail on 9 November 2008), who claimed in a television interview to have actually shot Paritala Ravi, was at large even on February 1, another person who had allegedly fired at court while he was attending.

After his death, his widow Paritala Sunitha became M.L.A from his assembly constituency Penukonda .

Ram Gopal Varma's Rakta Charitra released in 2010 is based on Paritala Ravi and Maddelacheruvu Suri's life.

Maddelacheruvu Suri was killed on 4 January 2011 by Gun Shot in Hyderabad by his believed follower bhanu kiran for unknown reasons.