Renowned Telangana folk singer Gaddar passes away
Hyderabad, Aug 6: Renowned Telangana folk singer and balladeer Gaddar, who was popularly known for his revolutionary songs during the 1980s and later during the Telangana statehood agitation, passed away here on Sunday due to ill-health. He was 77.
Gaddar, whose real name is Gummadi Vittal Rao, died at Apollo Spectra Hospital in the city due to lung and urinary problems and advanced age, the hospital said in a statement.
He was suffering from severe heart disease and got admitted on July 20. He underwent a bypass surgery on August 3 and recovered from it, the hospital said.
However, he has had a history of lung and urinary problems, which along with advanced age, became aggravated and led to his passing, it said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed grief over the demise of Gaddar.
"Saddened to hear about the demise of Shri Gummadi Vittal Rao, Telangana's iconic poet, balladeer and fiery activist," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
"His (Gaddar) love for the people of Telangana drove him to fight tirelessly for the marginalised. May his legacy continue to inspire us all," he said.
Gaddar had attended a Congress public meeting addressed by Rahul Gandhi at Khammam in Telangana on July 2.
Union Minister and Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy, TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu and several other leaders condoled the demise of the singer.
Gaddar, who played a key role in spreading public awareness on various issues, gave an impetus to the Telangana statehood agitation with his songs, Kishan Reddy said.
A former naxalite, Gaddar had led an underground life, including in the forests. Subsequently, he had joined the mainstream and voted for the first time in his life in the Telangana Legislative Assembly polls in 2018.
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Baba Siddique murder case: Special MCOCA court issues open-ended warrants against three gangsters
Mumbai: A special MCOCA court on Wednesday issued open-ended warrants against gangsters Anmol Bishnoi, Shubham Lonkar, and Yasin Akhtar in connection with the murder of former MLA Baba Siddique. The court observed that they played active roles in the crime and have remained untraceable despite multiple efforts by the investigating agency.
The prosecution had approached the court on Tuesday, seeking the warrants. Siddique, 66, was killed on October 12 near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra. So far, 26 suspects have been arrested in the case, and a charge sheet was submitted last month, alleging that Bishnoi ordered the murder while leading the gang.
Public prosecutor Wajeed Shaikh stated that Bishnoi had instructed the arrested accused to carry out the murder through Snapchat and also provided financial support. The prosecution also noted that an extradition request for Bishnoi had been sent to the United States in connection with an earlier firing incident at Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence.
Regarding Akhtar, the prosecution highlighted his contact with arrested shooters Dharmraj Kashyap, Gurmel Singh, and Shivakumar Gautam through Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. As for Lonkar, the prosecution pointed to multiple financial transactions linked to the arrested accused and described him as an active gang member.
Additionally, the prosecution revealed that Lonkar had practiced firing in Jharkhand before the murder. He, along with arrested accused Pravin Lonkar, was involved in handing over the firearm to Rupesh Mohol, who later claimed responsibility for the killing through a Facebook post.
After hearing the prosecution’s plea, the court allowed the request, stating that the three accused were directly involved in the crime and remained at large.
