Visakhapatnam: The police are on the lookout for DSP Dasari Ravi Babu and editor of Telugu daily 'Kshetriya Bheri' for their involvement in the murder of rowdysheeter Gedela Raju in Visakhapatnam.

It may be recalled that Gedela Raju alias Kopperla Satyanarayana Raju's charred body was found at an isolated location under Sabbavaram police limits in the city on October 7. On the same night, one Ravi was caught by the city police for drunk and drive and the vehicle Honda Activa was seized. Later, the police learnt that the same vehicle was used to kill the victim.

DSP Ravi Babu, who is currently discharging duty in the vigilance wing of APSRTC, is learnt to have hatched the plan to murder Raju as the latter was blackmailing him for having an extra-marital affair with a woman. After the murder of the woman, Raju started demanding money from the DSP.

To eliminate the rowdy sheeter Raju, the DSP sought assistance of Telugu daily editor Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Raju who in turn hired a 12-member gang to kill Raju. Of the 12, nine accused were arrested by the police in the case. The accused were identified as Gummadi ravi (55), Suvvada Mahesh (32), Y Srinivasa Rao (30), A Gopi (30), M Vijay Kumar (25), B Murali (25) Anand Kumar (49), Thrinad (25), Kanakaraju (39), all were residents of Vizag city. All the accused were earlier involved in various criminal cases.

DSP Ravi Babu, the then ACP of Madhurawada in 2016, was suspended for cheating Padmalatha, daughter of former MLA of Payakaraopeta K Nookaraju. In her complaint, Padmalatha had alleged that Ravi Babu had raped her on the pretext of marrying her. She also alleged that Ravi Babu had threatened to kill her.