HYDERABAD: Police officials have stated that former Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya’s husband Bhargav Ram has a “criminal past” and played a key role in the Bowenpally kidnap case. In the remand report submitted to the court, they said Akhila Priya and Bhargav plotted the abduction of brothers Katikaneni Naveen, Praveen and Suneel following a dispute over the ownership of 25 acres of land in Survey No.80 of Hafeezpet, Rangareddy district.
In the report, police said Praveen had purchased the land in 2016. But accused No. 2 in the case, A V Subba Reddy and Accused No.1 Akhila Priya, her husband Bhargav Ram, A3, claimed ownership. Bhargav Ram is still absconding.
Praveen paid an undisclosed sum to Subba Reddy who also represented Akhila Priya and her husband, to resolve the issue, police said. But when there was a steep rise in the land price, Akhila Priya and Bhargav Ram pressurised Praveen to pay more. Subsequently, they encroached the property. A case had been registered in this regard by Miyapur police in 2020.
On Wednesday, Akhila Priya and Bhargav Ram sent henchmen to kidnap the three brothers in order to extract more money. After their signatures were taken, the siblings were abandoned near Bandlaguda Jagir.
Police said that the accused were bent on harming their victims physically or financially. “Akhila Priya’s husband Bhargav Ram is a habitual offender who is now at large. If the accused is not arrested, he would commit more crimes. The victims’ family would be placed in further danger,” the report stated.
Subba Reddy’s role
TDP sources reveal that the late Bhuma Nagi Reddy had placed some of his land and properties under close associate A V Subba Reddy’s care. But after Nagi Reddy’s death, Subba Reddy claimed all the properties as his own and sold 26 acres to K Praveen. A few months ago, Mounika, Akhila Priya’s sister, met Praveen’s family members. Later, Akhila Priya and her husband hatched the kidnap plan, police said