GUNTUR: Guntur Rural police on Friday arrested eight persons in connection with the murder of a TDP activist, Thota Chandraiah, in Gundlapadu.
Police arrested Chinta Sivaramaiah, Yalamanda Kotaiah, Sani Raghu Ramaiah, Ramakoteswara Rao, Chinta Srinivasa Rao, Thota Anjaneyulu ,Thota Siva Narayana and Chintha Adinarayana.
Chinta Sivaramaiah, the prime accused, is YSRC's Veldurthi mandal parishad president. The victim and some of the accused were relatives and had long been clashing with each other.
Speaking to the media here on Friday, Guntur Rural superintendent of police (SP) Vishal Gunni said old rivalries between the victim and the accused were behind the killing. He said they nabbed all the eight accused, who absconded after the murder on Thursday, near Nagarjuna Sagar by constituting four special teams.
"There is no question of sparing anyone who disturbs the law and order. Police will not take sides in investigation of any case," Gunni said.
The SP said political differences were not found to be the reason behind the murder. He said the accused confessed that they eliminated Chandraiah after the main accused Sivaramaiah learnt about the former's plans to kill him. The SP rubbished allegations of negligence by the police as the inspector and local in-charge sub-inspector reached the village within an hour and launched investigation based on the complaint lodged by Chandraiah's son.
The SP said additional forces were mobilised to Gundlapadu to keep a tab on law and order. "The initial investigation revealed the deceased Thota Chandraiah had personal disputes with Chinta Sivaramaiah owing to the construction of a cement road in the village. Both the victim and the accused belong to same community," said the SP.
He said the accused tracked the movement of Chandraiah and waylaid him before attacking him with stones, sticks and a knife. The accused have been booked under sections 302, 323 IPC r/w 34 IPC.
