Friday 22 February 2008

Forensic tangle in VIP murder case

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy
Hyderabad, Feb 20 2008
Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief and Indian Parliamentarian K Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts.
B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Following this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of murder.
Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple.
However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue.
While some of them support the murder theory others think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evidence.
While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicated matters further.
"I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report.
However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be selfinflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
The Crime Investigation Depart- ment is in a fix over whether to charge a murder case against K. Venkat Rao, son of former PCC chief K. Keshava Rao, because of the conflict of opinion among forensic experts. B. Prashanth Reddy, 35, a real estate partner of Venkat Rao, died of bullet injuries in the latter's house on September 9, 2007. Follow- ing this, the CID arrested Venkat on charges of mur- der. Police accused him of killing Prashanth over a real estate dispute. The realtor died of a bullet wound on the right temple. However, forensic experts have different opinions on the issue. While some of them sup- port the murder theory oth- ers think that the realtor committed suicide. Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, the CID has to depend upon forensic evi- dence. While Dr M. Narayana Reddy, head of the Osmania General Hospital Forensic Department, opined that it was murder, the senior forensic doctor, Dr M. Ravinder Reddy, said it was suicide. This has complicat- ed matters further. "I am of the opinion that the firearm injury in the case is consistent with self infliction and the APFSL report on gun residue on the hand of the deceased Prashanth Reddy confirmed self infliction," said Dr Ravinder Reddy in his report. However, Dr Narayana Reddy said that the type of injury could not be self- inflicted by a right-handed person. "It is more in favour of being fired by another person," he said in his report.
Prashanth Reddy was shot in the right temple. Prashant's family claimed that Venkat had a dispute with him over the ownership of a piece of land and repayment of some amount. In the expert opinion given by Dr Narayana Reddy he pointed out "The range of firing is three inches to 24 inches. This type of injury in a right handed person is very rare because the hand must be in a stressful position at the time of firing. The injury is more in favour of being fired by another person,"
Contradicting this Dr Ravinder Reddy stated ,"On the range of fire which is too wide is not based on any investigation, no muzzle to garment test was performed to determine the probable range of fire. Doctor cannot say on the frame of the mind of deceased. The hand is in a stressful position is not a post-mortem examination finding. There is no reasoning in the previous opinion to rule out self infliction,"
In the his report Dr Narayana Reddy said that the victim was standing in the corner of the room and head came into contact with the walls at the time of firing and opined that distortion of the bullet was due to pressing of bullet to wall.
Setting aside this Dr Ravinder Reddy said it can not be reconstructed from the medical evidence to show that deceased was standing in the corner of the room at the time of shooting and the bullet deformed as it passed through bones and it cannot be said that it pressed against the wall.
Striking aside the Dr Narayana Reddy's finding that the swelling of the eyelids was caused due to fall on sofa the latest expert opinion by Dr Ravinder said it may be due to early stages of decomposition.
In the initial opinion favouring the murder angle Dr Narayana Reddy opined that it is possible to find the traces of gunpowder on the right hand of the deceased when the victim tried to ward off the attach by catching the hand of the shooter. Dr Narayana Reddy attributed the absence of struggle marks to a surprise attack.
Setting aside these findings Dr Ravinder Reddy said ,"The autopsy doctor said it was a surprise attack that's why there are no struggle marks and other hand he says the deceased tried to ward of the attack resulted in the presence of GSR. There two are differing opinions of the same expert,"
The latest report by Dr Ravinder Reddy said that the wound is typical of self inflicting shot.

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