In a political drama that came to light on Wednesday, the Hyderabad police have said that Congress leader, Vikram Goud -- who was attacked last week -- had staged the shootout that took place in his Banjara Hills residence.
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Vikram Goud is a youth Congress leader and the son of Mukesh Goud, a former minister in the government of YS Rajasekhar Reddy. According to initial reports, Vikram was shot at around 3.30 am on Friday by a gang of unidentified assailants. According to the police, Vikram who was admitted in the Jubilee Hills Apollo Hospital had been shot thrice.
Though he had received injuries on his hands and stomach, the doctors had said that he was out of danger.
However, when the police tried to recreate the crime scene, the details provided by Vikram contradicted the ones provided by his wife Shifali. The police also investigated the case from the preview of a suicide attempt.
According to latest reports, police investigations have thrown open a series of new details.
Minister had planned the assault
Hyderabad Police Commissioner, M Mahender Reddy has said that Goud staged his assassination to get sympathy from voters, and also to get off the hook of financiers.
Vikram had invested a lot of money in mining in Odisha and some other ventures. When his partners failed to return his investment, he came up with the plan to throw off his debtors.
"In a bid to recover his investments and also to get off the hook of financiers, Vikram staged this crime," the police was quoted as saying by The News Minute.
Here's what Vikram planned
Not only did Vikram play the sympathy card to get off the hook of financiers but also to gather support in the upcoming general elections where he was planning to contest as MLA.
He orchestrated the attack with his friend A Govind Reddy, who is an aspiring actor.
"Four months earlier, Vikram called Reddy and detailed his plan to contest in elections and explained how he wanted to gain popularity through sympathy. Vikram asked him to procure a gun and stage the event, in such a way that police would assume that the assassination attempt was carried out by his political rivals. Govind agreed, for which he was paid Rs 5 lakh," Mahender Reddy detailed.
Reddy then reached out to four other people, who carried out the attack.
The police have arrested five people including A Govind Reddy, Nanda Kumar, Shaik Ahmed, Raees Khan and Kokanti Babujan.
Vikram will also be arrested, following his discharge from the hospital.
