GUNTUR: The gruesome murder of two TDP workers in Palnadu district has taken a political turn with police naming former Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy and his brother Pinnelli Venkatarami Reddy as accused in the case.
The victims, Javvishetty Venkateswarlu alias Moddayya, and his brother Koteswara Rao from Gundlapadu village, were killed on Saturday evening near Bodilaveedu in Veldurthi mandal.
They were returning from a wedding in Telangana when a Scorpio reportedly rammed into their bike, and dragged them along the road.
Witnesses alleged that after noticing one of them was still alive, the assailants fatally struck him with a stone before fleeing, leaving the vehicle behind.
Police have registered a case under IPC Section 302, and named seven accused, including the Pinnelli brothers, in the FIR. However, the naming of two YSRCP leaders in the FIR in what was initially suspected to be a TDP internal feud, has triggered a backlash.
Senior YSRCP leader and former minister Ambati Rambabu alleged that the FIR was filed under pressure from local TDP MLA Julakanti Brahmananda Reddy. He cited media reports and the district SP’s statements, indicating the double murder stemmed from factional rivalry within the TDP.
“The Scorpio used in the attack even had the MLA’s name on it,” Ambati claimed, questioning the logic in implicating unrelated YSRCP leaders in the double murder.
He warned police officials of repercussions for filing politically motivated cases, and accused pro-TDP media houses of spreading false narratives.
Ambati also highlighted past instances when YSRCP leaders were falsely framed, asserting that under the TDP-led NDA government, law enforcement agencies were being misused to target opposition. The naming of Pinnelli brothers in the FIR is likely to lead a slugfest between the TDP and the YSRCP in the coming days.