Paritala Ravindra

Paritala Ravindra
Born	(1958-08-30)30 August 1958 Venkatapuram, Anantapur district, India
Died	24 January 2005(2005-01-24) (aged 46) Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Residence	Anantapur district, India
Occupation	MLA, Former AP Cabinet Minister
Political party	Telugu Desam Party
Spouse(s)	Paritala Sunitha
Children	3

Paritala Ravindra (Telugu: పరిటాల రవీంద్ర; 30 August 1958 – 24 January 2005), popularly known as "Paritala Ravi", was an Indian politician in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

He was a former cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh and a sitting Member of the Legislative Assembly. He was assasinated by his political rivals in 2005. He started as a communist in the footsteps of his father who donated his land to poor people and later entered electoral politics by joining the Telugu Desam Party. He was elected five times as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Penukonda constituency in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.

Early life

Ravi's father, Paritala Sreeramulu, was a Naxalite leader, and was close to Kondapalli Seetharamaiah of the then-monolithic People’s War Group. In 1975, Gangula Narayana Reddy, a factionist, Congress MLA and Sane Chenna Reddy, another factionist, killed Sreeramulu.^[1] Ravi was seventeen years old when his father was killed. Ravi and his brother, Paritala Hari, escaped the attack.

After losing his father and brother, Ravi wanted to take shelter from his rivals. He went to his maternal uncle, Kondaiah, in Seerpi Kottaala village of Uravakonda Constituency to take shelter. He married his uncle's daughter Suneetha in 1986 and took up cultivation. Ravi was one of the accused in the murder of Gangula Narayana Reddy, Narsanna and Yaadi Reddy.^[2]

Politics

After Narayana Reddy was killed, Ramachandra Reddy of the Telugu Desam Party became MLA from Penukonda in 1983 and 1985. In the 1989 elections, the Congress formed the government in the state. Sane Chenna Reddy became MLA of Penukonda by defeating Ramachandra Reddy of the TDP. Ravi wanted to avenge the deaths of his father and brother. He allied himself with Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War (PWG) who were ready to help Ravi and so plotted against Chenna Reddy.^[3] Sane Chenna Reddy, who was conspirator in his father's and brother's deaths was killed in Kannumukkala village in 1991. By-elections were conducted and Ramana Reddy, son of Chenna Reddy, became MLA in 1991.

PWG expelled Kondapalli Seetharamaiah from the party. He split P.W.G into two. One was P.W.K.S group. Potula Suresh, who allegedly shot Chenna Reddy, was an active member of this group. This group again split into two. One was "Redstar" and other was "Re-Organising committee" (ROC). Potula Suresh was head of ROC and Sudarshan was head of the Redstar. Redstar was favourable to Chenna Reddy's sons and Surya Narayana Reddy (Gangula Surya Narayana Reddy/Maddelacheruvu Suri), son of Gangula Narayana Reddy. ROC worked for Ravi. An armed struggle between these two groups resulted in many deaths.

Death and post death reaction

On 24 January 2005, hired killers detonated bombs near the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) party office and shot Ravindra. On the way to the hospital he succumbed to injuries inflicted by the bullet.^[4] The brutality of the murder, committed in broad daylight, caused a sensation. According to the media the assassination was planned in Anathapuram jail and the execution was facilitated by major ruling party leaders.

On 25 August, the Anantapur District Court sentenced eight people to life imprisonment for the murder of TDP MLA Paritala Ravi. There were a total of sixteen persons accused in the case; four were acquitted. Of them, three have been killed, and one has joined Ravi's party. Following sharp criticism from opposition parties, the then chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ordered a CBI probe into the murder. However, before the CBI could begin investigations, one of the accused, M. Rekhamaiah, surrendered to the Mahabubnagar police. The next week, eight other accused surrendered. One of the accused, Joolakanti Srinivasa Reddy, alias Moddu Seenu, claimed in a television interview that it was he who had shot Paritala Ravi.

On 9 November 2008, Joolakanti Reddy was assassinated in the Anantapur jail by his rivals. The main person accused in the case, Maddelacheruvu Suri (Gangula Surya Narayana Reddy), was murdered by his aide Bhanu Kiran on 4 January 2011 in Hyderabad for unknown reasons. The court delivered the verdict after examining 133 witnesses, including Paritala's father-in-law Kondanna. The court has convicted 8 accused - Hanumantha Reddy, Peddi Reddy, O.B. Reddy, Vadde Konda, Vadde Srinivasulu, Rekamayya, Narayana Reddy and Ranganayakulu - and the approver was Rammohan Reddy. 4 accused - G B Reddy, Anand Reddy (Rice Mama), Ramaswamy and Patola Govardhan Reddy - have been acquitted.^[5]

Before his assassination the TDP voiced its fears about possible attempts by his numerous enemies to kill him. As per media at least 12 attempts are made to assassinate Paritala Ravindra in a span of 10 years which he survived. Soon after the Congress came to power in the State in May 2004, the heavy security cover that Ravi had was drastically scaled down. He then petitioned the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which ordered restoration of the 10 gunmen earlier deployed for his protection.

Maddelacheruvu Suri tried to take vengeance by triggering a remote-controlled car bomb in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, in 1997, but missed his target, Paritala Ravi, who was then producing a movie called Sri Ramulayya based on his father's struggle against landlords. After his death, his wife Paritala Sunitha became M.L.A from his assembly constituency Penukonda.^[6][3]

Maddelacheruvu Suri was killed on 4 January 2011 by gunshot in Hyderabad by his believed follower Bhanu Kiran for unknown reasons.^[7]

Popular culture

Ram Gopal Varma made the film, Rakta Charitra, based on his life. Vivek Oberoi played his character.^[8]

References