In an interesting twist to the recent 'attack' on Telangana Youth Congress leader Vikram Goud, police claimed that the leader had hatched a conspiracy to harm himself to gain people's sympathy and manage a ticket for the 2019 legislative assembly elections.
Goud, son of former Andhra Pradesh minister Mukesh Goud, was shot at in his residence in Film Nagar area of the city on July 28.
Hyderabad Police cracked the case by arresting five persons today, who spilled the beans on the conspiracy. They are among the eight accused, including Goud who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, while two others are absconding.
The 35-year-old Youth Congress leader hatched the plan of a "murder attempt" on his life to gain sympathy of people of a city constituency from where he was planning to contest, a senior police officer said, adding Goud also wanted to win the sympathy of his family and friends.
"It all started in April this year, when Vikram Goud hatched the plan and told the accused that he wanted to get a ticket for the next elections. He then asked them to procure a weapon and make an attempt on him to gain popularity as well as sympathy," Hyderabad Police Commissioner M Mahendar Reddy told reporters.
Goud wanted the police to believe that the act was committed by his political rivals, he said.
Reddy said the accused demanded Rs 50 lakh from Goud to execute his plan.
"As per the plan, S Nanda Kumar and other accused procured a country-made weapon from Madhya Pradesh. On Goud's instructions, two of them, namely Raees Khan and Shaik Ahmed, reached his house in the early hours of July 28. Khan fired two rounds at Goud's hands before fleeing along with Ahmed," the commissioner said.
Two other accused arrested today have been identified as K Babu Jan and A Govind Reddy.
Goud's wife Shipali M, after hearing the gunshots, rushed to the ground floor of the house only to find her husband lying with bullet wounds. Goud told her that a person shot at him before fleeing.
Following a complaint from her, the police had registered a case of attempt to murder.
However, during the course of investigation, it was revealed that it was Goud who had hatched the plan to pass off the incident as a genuine bid on his life.
"His (Goud's) entire thought process was if this incident goes undetected and the culprits are not identified, it will remain a mystery and he will be able to secure sympathy of people of the constituency from where he was planning to contest as MLA in 2019.
"Apart from this, he probably also thought that he could settle score with the people with whom he had financial disputes," Reddy said.
Goud, who had invested a lot of money in mining in Odisha and also in other businesses, is indebted and quantum of his debts is being ascertained, the officer said.
The top cop said Goud also wanted to get a weapon license and gunmen for his protection.
"His wife is not aware about the incident (conspiracy), however, since she was not the eyewitness, whatever her husband has indicated she has just mentioned in the complaint. We have recorded Goud's statement and he has confessed to whatever others (those arrested) have told," the officer said.
We would arrest Goud once he gets discharged from the hospital, he said.
The Telangana Youth Congress leader and eight others have been booked on relevant sections of IPC besides the Arms Act.
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