Hyderabad: K Nityananda Reddy, the director and vice-chairman of Aurobindo Pharma, has foiled an attempt to kidnap him. An unidentified person opened fire from an AK-47 at him but he escaped unhurt, police said. Reddy also fired from his pistol to counter the attack. The incident took place around 7 am when Reddy returned to his car after a morning walk in the park located in Banjara Hills and Jubliee Hills. The gunman, who was sitting in the car, apparently tried to kidnap Reddy.
Reddy told reporters that he held the attacker's gun and in the scuffle he fired four rounds. He shouted for help and his brother Shivananda Reddy also reached there. They tried to catch hold of the assailant, who fired few more rounds, damaging the window panes of the car. Faced with stiff resistance, the assailant fled the scene, leaving behind his weapon and a bag.
Senior police officials rushed to the scene and launched investigations. They gathered several clues and also recovered bullets and empty shells. The police have taken the incident seriously as an AK-47 was used by the assailant. Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy, who visited the scene, said the rifle was missing since January this year from a commando of Greyhounds, the elite anti-Maoist force.
The police are probing the incident from all angles including the possibility of involvement of a Maoist or a former Maoist. The motive of the attacker was not clear. The investigating officials were gathering information from Reddy and his brother and also analyzing the footage from CCTV cameras installed at the nearby traffic signal and at the office of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to identify the attacker. The incident sent panic among VIPs who throng the famous park for their daily morning walk.
