Forty-three-year-old Matta Reddy, accused of masterminding the sensational double murder reported recently at Ibrahimpatnam, was Ashok Reddy till 2006.
Investigation by Rachakonda police revealed that Ashok Reddy, whose name figured in a bank fraud case registered by Narayanguda police of Hyderabad, changed his name eventually to evade the police! “He claims that he got his name changed legally and even got a gazette notification issued,” a police officer associated with the investigation of the Ibrahimpatnam double murder said. The officer seeking anonymity said they were yet to catch hold of the notification.
“It is clear that this Matta Reddy was Ashok Reddy till 2006. On the passport of his children, his name is mentioned as Ashok Reddy,” the police said.
He was also reportedly facing some bank related cheating cases in Malakpet and Saroornagar of Hyderabad and Rachakonda police commissionerates. Police surmise that he changed his name apparently to elude the police.
It is not yet clear what the police of Narayanaguda, Malakpet and Saroornagar were doing. Inquiries indicated that since he changed his name, the warrants related to the criminal cases issued on the name of Ashok Reddy would not reach him.
Matta Reddy was picked up by the police within a couple of hours of the double murders reported around 10 a.m. at Cherlapatelguda in Ibrahimpatnam on Tuesday since he was one of the first persons to have arrived at the crime scene. On learning that he had land disputes with the slain Srinivas Reddy, naturally suspicions of the police got strengthened.
“Despite grilling for several hours, Matta Reddy calmly and quietly refuted his possible complicity in the case,” the police said. Only after the investigators sought an explanation by showing a video clip of Mohiuddin hurriedly leaving the place, Matta Reddy started spilling the beans.
Matta Reddy is known as Ashok Reddy in his native village. Some villagers told the police that Ashok Reddy alias Matta Reddy might have hatched the plot to execute the twin murders due to real estate venture dispute with Srinivas Reddy.
“But he is not dependent only on that land. He has nearly 50 acres of land in Tandur and another 18 acres of land at Mupparam village,” investigators quoted the villagers as saying. They also told the police that some of Matta Reddy’s family members were well settled abroad.
