VIJAYAWADA: A day after one person Thota Sandeep died in a group clash over land settlement that happened in Sanath Nagar under Patamata police station limits, Vijayawada police on Monday took around 20 people into custody.
Based on the information collected from CCTV footage and eyewitnesses, the Patamata police have identified around 20 persons, involved in the attack.
According to sources, the arrested, who are mostly below 25 years of age, tried to escape from the scene after the attack, but the entire episode was recorded in the video shot by a member of one gang and CCTV cameras installed at the spot.
“Deceased Sandeep reportedly told his followers to record the entire episode prior to the attack. He was also seen attacking Manikanta alias KTM Pandu with a knife. They (Sandeep’s gang) have decided to attack his rival group for their interference in the land settlement,” a source said.
Meanwhile, mild tension prevailed at Vijaywada government general hospital with the relatives and friends of Sandeep staging a protest against the police demanding justice. “All the identified persons are said to have addiction towards ganja and drugs. They participated as Sandeep forced them to do so,” a senior officer said.