Mahbubabad: In a horrifying incident on Thursday, Independent ward councilor Banothu Ravi Naik was murdered in broad daylight by unidentified persons at Pattipaka colony here.
The deceased was an elected councilor from the 8th ward of Mahbubabad municipality. He had participated in developmental works along with Mahbuabad MP Malothu Kavitha in the morning. Later, when Ravi was going to the construction site of his new house in Pattipaka area, unidentified persons fatally attacked him with an axe.
The locals informed the police and took the councillor to the government area hospital. Doctors declared him as 'brought dead'. Ravi is survived by his wife Puja and two children.
Ravi was opposing some TRS party leaders in some matters. He had told his friends that he faced a threat from them.
After learning about the murder, MP Kavitha who went to Narasimhulapet mandal rushed to the government hospital and expressed her deep sorrow and shock at seeing the body of Ravi Naik. She said Ravi would have survived if he had accompanied her to the party programme. Ravi had taken leave of her by saying he had some work to do.
Meanwhile, district SP, SC Pawar, told the media that the culprits came in a car, blocked Ravi at Pathipaka area with a tractor, and killed him with an axe.
The police identified two accused. They had some differences with Ravi regarding some business transactions. There is no political involvement in the murder case, he said.
Four police teams have been deployed to carry out the investigation. A manhunt was launched to nab the culprits, the SP added.
