Andhra Congress leader surrenders following court order

Hyderabad -- Congress leader Gouru Venkat Reddy, whose pardon by the governor in a murder case was quashed by the Supreme Court, surrendered before police in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool town Wednesday.

Venkat Reddy surrendered at the office of Kurnool district superintendent of police B. Malla Reddy following the Supreme Court ruling that he should serve the remaining period of his 10-year sentence.

He was convicted in the 1995 murder of two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2000. He had served nearly five years when Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde granted him pardon and was released in August last year.

After he surrendered, Venkat Reddy was lodged in the Cherlapally jail on the outskirts of Hyderabad, where he had served the earlier part of his sentence.

The case of the Congress leader, who is married to Congress legislator G. Charita Reddy, was taken up Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as opposition leader and also when he became chief minister.

Soon after he took power, his government granted Venkat Reddy parole. Charita Reddy moved a mercy petition on the recommendation of the government and the governor pardoned him.

The victim's kin challenged the pardon in the Supreme Court.