Two Telugu Desam men hacked to death in faction violence in Kurnool

KURNOOL: Two Telugu Desam leaders were killed and three seriously injured by their political rivals at Pesaravai village in Gadivemula mandal of Kurnool district on Thursday. The deceased were former village sarpanch Nageswara Reddy and his brother, former KDCC bank director Pratap Reddy.

The two were close associates of TD Nandyal parliamentary constituency president Gouru Venkata Reddy. The police said eight persons were involved in the attack. Three persons were seriously injured and admitted to a Nandyal hospital. They were Vaddu Venkateshwar Reddy, Vaddu Subba Reddy, and Venkateshwar Reddy.

The assailants were suspected to be activists of the YSR Congress. They used a sports utility vehicle (SUV) to hit the two victims. When they fell down, they were done to death with knives and other sharp objects, the police said.

It is learnt that the gang of eight lay in wait to execute their plan on the outskirts of the village. “The family came out of their home and walked by foot on their way to the burial ground to perform some rituals for a close relative. The four-wheel vehicle hit the two brothers. The gang got out of it and killed the two with their hunting knives,” as per the police report.

The victims fell down and died on the spot. After killing the targeted two, the assailants fled the scene by vehicle.

Nandyal DSP Chidananda Reddy rushed to the spot and took charge of the situation. The villagers were in the grip of fear and a police squad has been deployed there to prevent further violence.