Hyderabad: Hyderabad police have filed an FIR against Youth Congress leader Vikram Goud and seven others for faking an attempt on his life.

Police named Goud as an accused after alleged assailants opened fire at him outside his home last week.

Goud, son of former Congress MLA Mukesh Goud, planned the attack on himself by hiring the services of some criminals to create sympathy, Hyderabad Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy said.

“He is undergoing treatment in a hospital and will be arrested one discharged,” the commissioner said.

“He had planned the attack four months ago. He also purchased a second hand motorcycle for the assailants for Rs30,000 [Dh1,729] and scratched off the chassis number,” he said.

Goud was aspiring for the Congress ticket for the Goshamahal assembly constituency in Hyderabad, which his father and former minister Mukesh Goud represented until 2014.

Police say he hoped to create a sympathy for himself and also planned to set investigators after his political rivals, the commissioner said.

The FIR has named Vikram Goud as the accused No. 1 in the case. Others arrested included Nanda Kumar, Babu Jaan and Shaik Ahmad from Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, Rayees Khan from Indore and A Govind Reddy from Kadapa.

Two more accused Venkatramana from Anantapur and Ghouse from Hyderabad were on the run.

The police investigation revealed that it was Govind Reddy from Kadapa who played a key role and struck a deal for Rs5 million to enact the drama of attacking Vikram Goud. He assembled the group and scripted the plan along with Vikram Goud to ensure that the firing result in superficial injuries.

Govind Reddy who wanted to become an actor was also promised a break in Telugu films and was given Rs500,000 in advance.

Through him a hired assassin from Anatapur Nanda was engaged and promised Rs350,000 to execute the plan.

As all the assailants were outsider Vikram arranged accommodation for them in Jubilee Hills, prepared a route plan to help them to escape on Mumbai Highway, police said.

As per the plan on July 28 Vikram Goud disconnected the CCTV camera before the assailants entered his residence and opened fire. It was Rayees Khan from Indore who opened fire inside Vikram’s house in Film Nagar area.

The police team led by the deputy commissioner of police Venkateshwara Rao got the first clue when they found that the injuries on Vikram’s body had blackened indicating that the bullets were fired from close range.

The suspects have confessed their crime and on their information the country made revolver procured from Indore was recovered from a pond in Hakeempet area.