JAGTIAL: Congress activist and former MPTC Maru Ganga Reddy (58), a close aide of ruling party MLC T Jeevan Reddy, was brutally murdered at Jabithapur village in Jagtial rural mandal of the district on Tuesday morning.
According to the police, a land dispute was the reason behind the murder. Santosh, the accused who is a history-sheeter, surrendered before the police later in the day.
Soon after news of the murder spread like wildfire, a shocked Jeevan Reddy, along with followers, staged a dharna on Jagtial-Dharmapuri road in the town and lashed out at the Congress government.
According to the police, Ganga Reddy was attacked, while he was going on a two-wheeler. A car hit his bike and later, he was stabbed multiple times, the police said.
Family members rushed Ganga Reddy to the Jagtial government hospital where the doctors declared him “brought dead”.
While staging the dharna, Jeevan Reddy blamed the police for murder. He alleged that the accused had links with the local police. “Murder of Ganga Reddy is nothing but a threat to me,” Jeevan Reddy said. When Government Whip Aduluri Laxman Kumar met Jeevan Reddy to console him, the MLC expressed anguish over the law and order situation in the state. Jeevan Reddy told Laxman Reddy with folded hands: “meeku.. mee party ki oka dandam”.
TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar too called up Jeevan Reddy and tried to pacify him.
Jeevan hints at life without Congress
However, Jeevan Reddy wondered why he should continue in the party.
District SP Ashok Kumar reached the spot and requested Jeevan Reddy to withdraw the protest. The MLC told the SP that there was no protection even for workers in the Congress government. Jeevan Reddy demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
Before surrendering, Santosh, the accused, shot video clips in front of the police station. These clips soon went viral on social media. Ganga Reddy’s family members alleged that though they repeatedly told the police that he faced a threat from Santosh, there was no action taken. It may be recalled here that Jeevan Reddy had threatened to leave the Congress and resign from the Council in June this year, when the ruling party admitted BRS MLA Sanjay Kumar into its fold. He relented when the Congress high command stepped in.
Jeevan Reddy shocked, anguished: Mahesh
Meanwhile, TPCC chief Mahesh Kumar Goud told reporters in the evening that he spoke with Jeevan Reddy.
The TPCC president said that Jeevan Reddy is in anguish following the murder of his key aide in Jatial.
The TPCC chief revealed that he telephoned Jeevan Reddy to console. Mahesh also revealed that he spoke to senior police officers regarding the murder.
He said that the prime suspects in the murder have surrendered to the police. He urged the police to investigate the case judiciously and impartially and ensure that the conspiracy, if any, behind the murder is unravelled and the killers are punished.
The PCC chief said that the responsibility of Jagtial Assembly was entrusted to IT Minister D Sridhar Babu.