VIJAYAWADA: Krishna district police on Tuesday summoned five more persons in connection with the attack on Minister for Transport and Information and Public Relations (I &PR) Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani). The police summoned five persons including the attacker Badugu Nageswara Rao’s elder sister Badugu Uma Devi.
Machilipatnam police called Madhireddy Srinu, Vasu, former Machilipatnam Market Yard chairman P Parabrahmam, Machilipatnam Telugu Desam Party vice-president Badugu Umadevi (elder sister of the accused) and another person and recorded their statements.
Police said they are examining the call data of Badugu Nageswara Rao to know if there is any conspiracy behind the attack. “We are collecting all the details pertaining to the accused and his contacts in the TDP as there are allegations that Nani’s political rivals are behind the attack,” the police said.
Meanwhile, the people close to the minister found fault with the earlier statements made by the police that Rao attacked Nani in an inebriated condition.
The incident happened on Sunday morning when the minister was interacting with the people from the nearby villages who attended his mother’s death ceremony. Nageswara Rao tried to attack the minister in the abdomen with a trowel but the latter escaped unhurt as the weapon struck his belt buckle.
