MAHABUBABAD: A seven-member gang involved in the brutal murder of an independent councillor from Mahabubabad was busted by One Town Police on Friday. The police also seized the weapons that were used for the killing., including an axe, a tractor and a car, along with seven mobile phones.
The accused were identified as Bhukya Vijay Kumar of Pattipaka village, Bhukya Arun Kumar and Ajmeera Balaraju of Babu Naik Thanda, Guguloth Chintu alias Satish of Mangali area in Mahabubabad Town, Karapati Suman of Vajinawada in Mahabubabad, Ajmeera Kumarof Mangali Colony. All of them are aged between 22 and 34 years. Another accused who was arrested is 50-year-old Guguloth Bavusingh from Dornakal mandal.
Notably, though the victim had close ties with local TRS leaders, police have ruled out the possibility of any political element involved in the murder. Mahabubabad MP Maloth Kavitha attended the last rites of the victim on Friday.
Speaking to the media, Mahabubabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Sharath Chandra Pawar said that the key accused Bhukya Vijay Kumar and Arun Kumar were working as assistants for a business owned by councillor Banoth Ravi Naik. Due a business transaction, some differences emerged between Naik and the two accused, following which a conspiracy was hatched to eliminate him. The accused had been looking for an opportunity to kill Naik.
When they could not do it on their own, they hired others who lived near the residence of the deceased councillor to provide them information. All of them have been taken into custody. They have confessed to committing the crime during interrogation, said the police officer. On Thursday morning, Vijay and Arun hit the councillor Ravi Naik when he was riding a two-wheeler, and attacked him with an axe.