HYDERABAD, 12 June 2004 — Vasundhara Devi, wife of actor Balakrishna, surrendered before the fifth metropolitan magistrate yesterday afternoon in connection with the shooting incident at the actor’s house on June 3. She was granted bail.
She surrendered in the court around 12.30 p.m. in connection with the case booked by the Hyderabad city police for allegedly tampering with evidence in the shootout incident in which her husband Balakrishna allegedly fired at and critically injured two producers Bellamkonda Suresh and Satyanarayana Chowdary.
After hearing the arguments of her counsel and the public prosecutor after the lunch recess, the magistrate granted her bail.
The case was registered at Jubilee Hills police station under section 201 of the Indian Penal Code against Vasundhara, based on eyewitness accounts that she had ordered the car driver and other household servants to “wipe out ” the material evidence after the incident.
Vasundhara also faces charges under the Indian Arms Act for “unsafe keeping” and “misuse” of her licensed revolver. Balakrishna had allegedly used her revolver for firing six shots on the fateful night, though he also had his own revolver. The police has seized both the revolvers and initiated action for revocation of the weapons’ licenses.
Car driver S Kanakaiah told the police that Vasundhara had asked the maid servants to cleanse the house of all bloodstains.
