Prime accused in murder case, 3 others sentenced to 1 yr SI in

A local court today sentenced M Bhanu Kiran, the prime accused in a case relating to the murder of a faction leader, and three others in a 2009 case for possession of illegal country made firearms, to one year simple imprisonment.

The VI Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, found Kiran, Rajashekar Reddy, K Shiva Prasad Reddy and D Vinod guilty for the offence, punishable under Section 5(1)(B)(a) of the Arms Act and sentenced them to one year SI, a top official of Telangana's Crime Investigation Department (CID) said.

It also directed them to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 each, in default of which they would have to undergo SI for another three months, Additional Director General of Police, CID, Govind Singh said in a release.

On March 11, 2009, Kiran and the others were found in possession of illegal country made fire arms and ammunition while conducting illegal arms supply business and trying to dispose them to prospective buyers.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act at Begumpet Police Station here and subsequently they were arrested.

The case was then transferred to the CID for further investigation. Eight pistols, 42 live rounds and 12 magazines were seized from them.

A faction leader from Anantapur district in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Suri, who was prime accused in the murder of TDP MLA Paritala Ravi in 2005, was shot dead, allegedly by Kiran at Yousufguda here on January 3, 2011.

Kiran, a former aide of Suri, was arrested by a CID team on the outskirts of the Zaheerabad town in Medak district on April 21, 2012, in connection with the murder.

He is presently lodged in the Chanchalguda Central Prison here.