Fri Nov 21 19:24:13 UTC 2025: Summary:
This article from The Hindu on November 22, 2025, revisits the devastating car bombing that occurred on November 19, 1997, in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The bombing, orchestrated by factionist Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy, targeted Anantapur MLA Paritala Ravindra, though Ravindra and his vehicle were largely unharmed, the blast killed around 25 people, including six journalists covering the event. The bombing stemmed from ongoing factional violence in the Rayalaseema region and was linked to previous murders. The article details the immediate aftermath, investigation, arrest of Suryanarayana Reddy, and the lasting impact on the region, including its portrayal in cinema. The cycle of violence continued with Suryanarayana Reddy’s assassination in 2011.
News Article:
Hyderabad Remembers: 1997 Jubilee Hills Bombing Still Haunts, Three Decades Later
Hyderabad, November 22, 2025 – Today marks the 28th anniversary of the horrific car bombing in Jubilee Hills that shook Hyderabad and the nation. On November 19, 1997, a remote-controlled bomb detonated outside Rama Naidu Studios, killing nearly 25 people and injuring dozens more.
The intended target was Anantapur MLA Paritala Ravindra, a key figure in the Rayalaseema region’s long history of factional violence. However, the brunt of the explosion was borne by a vehicle carrying six journalists from ETV, who were capturing footage of Ravindra and actor Mohan Babu. All six journalists perished in the blast.
“The road and surrounding area were covered with legs, arms, burnt body parts, clumps of hair and the stench of flesh,” recalls Sattiah, a local worker.
The investigation revealed that the bomb, packed with 50 kg of gelatin sticks, was triggered in a parked car procured from Karnataka. The assassination was linked to factionist Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy, who was later arrested and convicted for the crime. A week later, on December 7, Suryanarayana Reddy was arrested from Chitradurga in Karnataka.
The incident and the events surrounding Paritala Ravindra have been depicted in popular cinema, most notably in Ram Gopal Varma’s “Rakta Charitra II.”
The cycle of violence did not end with the bombing. Suryanarayana Reddy was assassinated in 2011, adding another chapter to the Rayalaseema region’s tragic history. The violence that began with the 1993 bomb attack on P. Siva Reddy, also known as Bombula Siva Reddy, near Satya Sai Nigamagamam on August 7, appeared to reach its grim conclusion with the death of Suryanarayana Reddy.
The echoes of the 1997 bombing still resonate in Hyderabad, serving as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of factionalism and violence.
First Piper 