Vikram Goud hired gunmen to shoot him for Rs 50 lakh; five arrested

Hyderabad: Youth Congress leader Vikram Goud, who was injured in a firing last week, had stage-managed the incident and struck the deal for Rs 50 lakh with the gang he had hired to execute the plan, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said that Goud, who was still undergoing treatment at a hospital, was under police surveillance and would be arrested once he is discharged.

The police also arrested five other accused while the search was on for three others. The arrested include Raees Khan, a native of Indore, who had opened two rounds on Goud.

Goud has been booked for abetment to commit crime, criminal conspiracy, causing disappearance of evidence, giving false information to police and for possessing and using illegal firearm.

Goud, son of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Mukesh Goud, was injured in the firing at his residence in upscale Banjara Hills area at 3.30 a.m on July 28. He had told the police that two assailants riding a bike barged into his house and opened fire.

The police investigations, however, revealed that Goud had himself planned the attack and hired a gang to execute it.

Goud, who also produced some Telugu films and had investments in real estate and other businesses, had hoped to gain public sympathy in Jubliee Hills constituency in Hyderabad from where he is planning to contest next assembly elections in 2019.

He also wanted to use the incident as an excuse to avoid some businessmen pressurising him to repay the loans.

The police arrested Nand Kumar, Sheikh Ahmed, Babujaan and Govind Reddy, all hailing from Kadapa and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The police chief said the arrests were made during searches across five states — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Of the Rs 50 lakh that Vikram Goud had promised to the gang to shoot at him, he had paid Rs 14 lakh and had made all arrangements. The gang had purchased a firearm from Indore and along with ammunition it was kept at his house since it was brought to Hyderabad early July.

The police recovered the weapon, which the accused had thrown into a pond in Sheikhpet area after the incident.