VIJAYAWADA: Police have ruled out any direct ganja link to the murder of Chennuru Ajay Sai in the Penamaluru area of Krishna district on Monday. SP Palle Jashoua and Vijayawada police commissioner KR Tata said Ajay Sai and the five accused were friends for the past eight years and they lived in Penamaluru area doing odd jobs. The suspected stealing of a mobile phone led to a fight between the friends.
"The friends met at the house of one of their friends Santosh and left the place at 10pm on Sunday. Later, one of them, Manikanta, noticed that his expensive I-phone, earbud(earphone) was missing. He asked the others about this. To discuss the matter, the friends met again on Monday," police said.
"At that time, everyone suspected that Ajay Sai took the phone. He confused them by admitting he stole it and then denying it. All the six persons searched for the bud at three places and finally reached a vacant land near Vijaya Institute, Enikepadu, and again started a ruckus."
"Three of the youths beat the victim with their hands. Ajay Sai was seriously hurt and they escaped from the scene. The other two took the injured to Vijaya Hospital, Donka Road and said this 'unknown person' fell from his bike and was suffering from fits near Kankipadu village, Krishna district."
"Doctors started treatment for fits but the victim died. Kankipadu Police was called in by the hospital. The cops observed some marks of injury on the victim’s body and they took the two youths into custody."
Giving these details, the police commissioner said some reports in the media in this connection were misleading. “The Vijayawada police booked 84 cases against ganja peddlers last year. We arrested 254 persons after seizing 251kg of ganja from them. We imposed the PD act against some of the accused and seven peddlers were expelled from the city,” he said.
SP Joshua urged the media and social media not to link every case to ganja gangs. “The police across the state are taking steps against ganja peddlers. In Krishna district we filed 91 cases against ganja peddlers last year and arrested 354 accused after seizing 150kg of ganja. Of the arrested, 61 were peddlers and they are still in Rajahmundry Central Jail. Some 19 PD act cases were referred to the collectors' office,” he said.
