HYDERABAD: Even as Hyderabad police intensified efforts and announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh to anyone who helps them arrest Palakonda Raju, accused of raping and killing a six-year-old girl at Singareni Colony here recently, Labour Minister Ch Mallareddy on Tuesday kicked up yet another controversy by stating that the culprit would be shot dead in an "encounter".
The Minister said: "We will kill him in an encounter."
Mallareddy assured that the government would take care of the family of the victim. In a related development, MAUD & IT Minister KT Rama Rao who congratulated the police on Sunday "for arresting the accused," tweeted regretting making the erroneous statement on Tuesday.
"The perpetrator is absconding and @hydcitypolice has launched a massive manhunt for him," he tweeted even as BSP leader RS Praveen Kumar demanded Rama Rao's resignation for misleading people. "You have no right to continue," he tweeted.
The Hyderabad police, who released the picture of the accused and announced the reward, stated: "Despite strenuous efforts, the accused Palakonda Raju who is wanted in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl at Saidabad, is still at large."
The police could not get any clue from the CCTV footage, which did not lead them to any specific location.It was learnt that after the offence, Raju met a friend, who helped him escape. Police who detained the friend found that he met Raju at a construction site and could not help them as he had no idea where Raju is hiding now.