HYDERABAD: Malishetty Bhanu Kiran alias Bhanu, the key accused in Maddelacheruvu Suri murder case, has reportedly confessed to the police that he bribed two revenue divisional officers (RDO) and one sub-collector with money and women to carry out his illegal activities, especially land dispute settlements.
Bhanu, arrested last week after 14 months at large, is said to have told his interrogators that these officials used to tip him off about land disputes, and he would then contact the disputants to bring about a settlement.
In this, he used act in concert with Suri, the man he is accused of murdering early last year.
The Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Monday filed a petition in the Nampally courts, seeking Bhanu’s custody for 15 days. The court posted its hearing on the petition to April 24.
Bhanu is said to have confessed to CID personnel that he settled land disputes in Kukatpally, Raidurgam, Miyapur and Narsingi police station limits in and around Hyderabad.
Among those who sought his help in this matter was Telugu film producers C Kalyan.
Another person who collaborated with Bhanu was another shadow Telugu film industry figure, Singanamala Ramesh.
CID officials suspect that Bhanu amassed wealth amounting to Rs 800 crore through land settlements.
The assets were registered in the name of proxies. An associate of Suri, Bhanu took over the Rayalaseema factionist’s land settlement activity when the former was lodged in jail.
“I offered huge bribes and procured prostitutes to the two RDOs and the sub-collector in Ranga Reddy district to get information from them,’’ Bhanu is said to have confessed.
The interrogators are said to have prised the names of the two RDOs and the subcollector and are likely to grill them soon.