HYDERABAD:It was only seven months ago that Nagaraju, the slain constable, was married. He was the sole breadwinner of the family. The family members came to know about the death only when their acquaintances called them. “I immediately dialled his number. But he did not pick my call. He always gave first priority to work. Other things came thereafter,” said a wailing Srimannarayana.
Grief-stricken mother, wife, and other family members of Nagaraju were inconsolable. His wife Sandhya Rani, who completed final year of diploma in pharmacy, could not let go of him while his body was being shifted to his home town in Rasoolgudem of Nalgonda district, from Kamineni Hospital.
Nagaraju joined the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP) five years ago. After working in the unit for two years, he was shifted to civil police force, his father said. Batchmates of Nagaraju described him as a person who was always interested in intelligence work. “He would go an extra mile in profiling a person,” said one of his batchmates.
Sub Inspector J D Siddaiah, who suffered bullet injuries in the encounter, had aspirations to join the police force from a very young age. Married an year ago, his wife Darnisa delivered a baby on Saturday. Doctors were able to extract three bullets from the body of Siddaiah and his condition is s ated to be stable.
The family which hails from Kurnool, shifted to Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar two decades ago.
A policeman who was part of the shootout at Janakipuram in Atmakur mandal, said that he laid down on his seat, when one of the assailant came to him, pointing a carbine.