Commissioner of police Mahendhar Reddy at the residence of Vikram Goud recently. (pic:ramoorthy p)

HYDERABAD: More than five days after former Congress minister Mukesh Goud 's son Vikram Goud was admitted to a hospital with bullet injuries , Hyderabad police on Wednesday declared Vikram as the prime accused as he himself conspired, planned the attack on himself to gain `public sympathy' in his Goshamahal constituency , where he is planning to contest in Assembly elections in 2019.

On Wednesday, Hyderabad police commissioner M Mahendar Reddy in a press conference declared eight persons, including Vikram as accused, involved in the case and declared the arrest of five others. Vikram is yet to be arrested since he is still in hospital, undergoing treatment for the bullet injuries.

The accomplice of Vikram who were arrested are Nanda Kumar, Shaik Ahmed, Raees Khan, K Babujan, A Govind Reddy, while Venkata Ramana and Ghouse, other two accused, are still at large.

Commissioner said that Vikram attacked himself to gain public sympathy and settle huge debts with various financiers. Vikram borrowed money to make Tollywood movies and for business investments.

``On the day of the incident, it was Nanda, Shaik Ahmed and Raees Khan who were present near the Film Nagar residence of Vikram. As per the plan, fire was opened on Vikram and the trio fled. On the instructions of the Vikram, as planned earlier, the weapon which was used, was thrown in a water body in Hakeempet. Based on the confession by the the accused, the weapon was recovered during the search made in the water body using a heavy magnet,'' Mahendar said.

According to accused, Vikram was involved in planning and execution of the conspiracy and it was since April the young Congress leader was in the process of hatching the plan, hiring executors besides using them in procuring a country made weapon from Indore.

Based on the messages exchanged, calls made by Vikram to the accused, the police nabbed them from various locations and the confession theory unravelled following their arrest.

The Commissioner said that even Vikram himself when questioned after the attack disclosed that he had hatched the plan to attack himself.

