Indian trio face kill bid charge

London, Feb. 12: Police in London have moved swiftly to charge three Indians with the attempted murder of 26-year-old Praveen Reddy, an MBA student from Hyderabad.

Praveen is still in a critical condition at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, though one report suggested his condition has improved slightly.

The three men who will appear at Thames Magistrates Court on Monday are:

Suspect

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Amareshwar Arava, 25 (date of birth 06.12.86), of Kent Street, Plaistow, E13;

Suspect B: Sai Kishore Balguri, 25 (date of birth 26.09.86), of Kent Street, Plaistow, E13;

Suspect C: Nishanth Puttapaka, 23 (date of birth 24.06.88), of Kent Street, Plaistow, E13.

Police said: "They were charged on Saturday 11 February with the attempted murder of a 26-year-old man on Friday 10 February in Kent Street, Plaistow, E13."

That the victim plus his three alleged attackers are from the same address gives the game away.

Police would not make such a statement but one source summed up wearily: "Andhra people getting drunk and fighting among themselves."

What police said was: "Officers believe the man sustained his injuries at an address in Kent Street, E13."

Apart from the three men, seven others ' E (aged 25); F (aged 25); G (aged 24 years); H (27 years); I (26 years); J (24 years); and K (22 years) ' were all bailed on dates to be confirmed.

That means they are not completely in the clear. Detectives from Newham Borough will conduct further inquiries before deciding their fate. An 11th man, D (27 years), was released yesterday.

It seems Praveen had finished his course at the London School of Business Management and was hoping to return home and not stay on in London to gain work experience.

His father, J. Sudhakar Reddy, a businessman from Hyderabad, is on his way from India. His visa is being expedited by the British high commission.

One of Reddy Senior's friends, K. Kasipathi, who visited Praveen in hospital, said: "He just called me a few days back and told me that he had finished his studies and was ready to leave. As far as I am aware, he was not planning to look for a job in Britain. He wanted to go back to India."

On Friday evening, Kasipathi saw Praveen in intensive care. "He was able to recognise me, but could not talk due to his injuries. He was using a pen and paper to communicate."

After Praveen was injured, those present did not ring the police or summon an ambulance. They took him to the "walk in" centre at the nearby Newham General Hospital. Luckily, staff immediately recognised the seriousness of Praveen's condition and rushed him to the better-equipped Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel for life-saving surgery.