Hyderabad: Popular Telugu comedian Venu Madhav, known for his rib-tickling performances in films like 'Chatrapati' and 'Sye,' died here on Wednesday.

He was 51.

Venu Madhav, who has been suffering from multiple ailments, including chronic liver cirrhosis, breathed his last at 12.21 am at a private hospital here, hospital sources said.

Madhav, also anacclaimed mimicry artist,made his debut in the movie 'Sampradayam.' Recalling his association with Venu Madhav, veteran comedian Ali said the former acted in more than 600 films.

Expressing grief over the demise of Venu Madhav, TDP Chief and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu said the departed actor had liking for the party and its founder N T Rama Rao a lot.

His mimicry performance at TDP's party conclave 'Mahanadu' had won appreciation from late NTR, Naidu said. Venu Madhav's demise is a great loss to TDP and the Telugu film industry, he said.

Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao,state Congress president and MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy, actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kumar and several other leaders condoled the death of Venu Madhav.

Venu Madhav had a great fan following, Rao said. Venu Madhav, who belongs to Kodad in Suryapet district, is a pride of Telangana, Uttam Kumar Reddy said.

Pawan Kalyan recollected that he had acted with Madhav in several films. "He (Madhav) has a very good sense of timing as a comedian," Kalyan, younger brother of Megastar Chiranjeevi, said in a release.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New York (PTI): Adani group founder and chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar have been summoned to explain their stand on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allegation of paying USD 265 million (Rs 2,200 crore) in bribes to secure lucrative solar power contracts.

Summons have been sent to Adani's Shantivan Farm residence in Ahmedabad and his nephew Sagar's Bodakdev residence in the same city for a reply to SEC within 21 days.

"Within 21 days after service of this summons on you (not counting the day you received it)...you must serve on the plaintiff (SEC) an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," said a November 21 notice sent through the New York Eastern District Court.

"If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint. You also must file your answer or motion with the court," it added.

Gautam Adani, 62, and seven other defendants, including his nephew Sagar, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, allegedly agreed to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years, according to an indictment unsealed in a New York court on Wednesday.

Separate from the indictment brought by the US Department of Justice, the US SEC has also charged the two and Cyril Cabanes, an executive of Azure Power Global, for "conduct arising out of a massive bribery scheme".

The ports-to-energy conglomerate has denied the allegations and said it will seek all possible legal resources.

"The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation fully compliant with all laws."

An indictment in the US is basically a formal written allegation originating with a prosecutor and issued by a grand jury against a party charged with a crime. A person indicted is given formal notice to reply.

That person or persons can then hire a defence lawyer to defend.

Prosecutors said the investigation started in 2022 and found the inquiry obstructed.

They also allege that the Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies, as well as reports of the bribery probe.

"As alleged, the defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and... lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from U.S. and international investors," US Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement announcing the charges on Wednesday.

"My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets."