NTR''s actor son booked for attempt to murder

Hyderabad, June 4 (IANS): An attempt to murder case has been registered against top film actor and former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao's son Balakrishna here for shooting at two film producers, who are still in a critical condition.

Balakrishna is likely to be arrested from a city hospital later in the day amid mounting tension, with his fans threatening to commit suicide if he was taken into custody, and state Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy calling a high-level meeting to review the situation.

In an incident that has shocked the city and the Telugu film industry, Balakrishna shot producer Bellakonda Suresh and his assistant and astrologer Satyanarayana Chowdary at his residence Thursday night after an altercation over their recent film "Laxminarsimha".

Doctors at Apollo Hospital operated upon the injured to remove bullets from their abdomen.

The condition of Suresh, 30, and Chowdary, 50, is still critical and both have been put on a ventilator.

According to doctors, a bullet has badly damaged Chowdary's liver while a bullet has hit Suresh's kidney.

"Both of them still have a bullet each. Since the bullets are in critical areas and any attempt to remove them can affect the spine, we are not doing anything to remove the bullets. Both the injured are unconscious," said a doctor.

The doctors have not revealed the number of bullets extricated so far.

Balakrishna, who got himself admitted to another hospital immediately after the incident, is also undergoing treatment.

Though the hospital is tight-lipped about the nature of the injury, it is believed to be a bullet injury he sustained while firing from a revolver belonging to his wife Vasundara.

The attempt to murder case against the actor was booked on a complaint by Chowdary's son Srinivas.

The actor is likely to be discharged later in the day and though his arrest seems imminent, fans outside the Care Hospital have warned police that they would commit suicide if he were taken into custody.

They believed he was innocent and was being framed by his rivals.

As tension mounted outside the hospital, police continued to hunt for clues at Balakrishna's residence.

His two servants have already been arrested and police are also questioning his personal manager M.R. Prasad. Two revolvers have been recovered from the actor's house.

A case is also likely to be registered against his wife.

Home Minister K. Jana Reddy said the guilty in the case would not be spared.

The minister and Director General of Police S.R. Sukumara attended a high-level meeting called by the chief minister to review the situation.

"The law will take its own course. An impartial probe will be held and the guilty will not be spared," said the home minister after the meeting.

Police Commissioner R.P. Singh met Balakrishna at the hospital but it is not known what the actor told him.

Additional Police Commissioner A.K. Khan also visited the hospital to meet Balakrishna. He, however, told reporters that the actor was under sedation and could not speak.

"The investigation is on. We want to complete it as early as possible," Khan said.

Besides being the son of the legendary actor NTR, Balakrishna is also brother-in-law of Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu. The former chief minister's brother N. Ramamurthy Naidu, who met Balakrishna's wife, quoted her as saying that he opened fire in self-defence.

Film personalities continue to visit the two hospitals to meet the actor and the family members of the two producers but are refusing to say anything on the sensational incident.