Chilakaluripeta/Yadlapadu: The mysterious death of Kondaveedu farmer, Koteswara Rao, or Kotaiah, which has been attributed to police excesses, is getting murkier by the day. The sole witness in the case who was with Kotaiah on the fateful day, Punna Rao, his farm hand, resurfaced on Wednesday in the presence of TDP minister, Prathipadu Pulla Rao, at a meet convened by the minister.

It has been reported earlier that family members of the deceased farmer allege that Kotaiah died at the hands of the police when he protested against their forcible occupation of his land and clearing it for the landing of AP chief minister's helicopter. In the process, the farmer's Papaya plantation was destroyed.

Punna Rao, the farm worker had accompanied Kotaiah to his farm land on the day, but disappeared mysteriously thereafter, leading to suspicions that he was detained by either ruling party members or the police. The minister threw a challenge saying that if it could be proved that the land cleared for the chopper landing belonged to Kotaiah, he would quit politics. The minister conveniently evaded the fact that the land for a police command control centre for the event, was being cultivated on lease by Kotaiah.

TDP leaders the witness, Punna Rao, at the minister's media meet and tried to make him admit that Kotaiah died of consuming pesticide. Punna Rao, however, is reported to have struggled to respond to the queries of media persons. The farm worker admitted that he was taken away in a police vehicle.

"Did policemen take your mobile?", he was asked, to which the minister's followers replied that he did not have one. When reporters questioned him as to how he claimed that he conveyed the information on Kotaiah's death to the deceased farmer's son, Veeranjaneyulu, Punna Rao admitted that he did own a mobile phone. Even as reporters were asking Punna Rao about details surrounding the unfortunate death of Kotaiah, TDP leaders whisked him away on a bike, strengthening suspicions of a massive cover-up in the case.

Also Read: YSRCP Demands Judicial Probe Into Farmer’s Death