A complaint of rape and murder of a nursing student against TDP MLA from Kovvur T V Rama Rao is snowballing into a controversy with the police saying that no such incident occurred.

With TDP MLAs staging a dharna outside the Chief Minister’s residence and courting arrest, and the role of a defeated Congress candidate and a TV reporter coming under scrutiny in fomenting the allegations, the government on Monday ordered a CID inquiry. The inquiry has incensed the TDP even more.

On June 18, a reporter of Sakshi TV, which is owned by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, MP and son of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, broke the ‘news’ that Rao had raped and murdered a student of Spruha College of Nursing at Nidadavole. The three-year-old college is owned by the MLA.

Before the news was flashed on TV, Congress’s K Moshen Raju and other party workers led by Pilli David Raju pelted the college campus with stones. They even ransacked the front office, said police.

On hearing the news, Rao rushed to the college where the Congressmen tried to assault him but were stopped by the police. The first-time Dalit MLA broke down in front of TV cameras and mediapersons who had gathered there by that time and rushed to the roof of the building. He was about to jump from the overhead water tank when a policeman grabbed and saved him.

As there was no police complaint, the police refused to arrest the MLA. Raju, howeverlodged a complaint immediately.

... contd.