Jagan followers alleged killer hacked to death

KADAPA: Thirty-year-old Umakanth Reddy, one of the accused in the case of murder of Gandikovuru sarpanch Subbi Reddy, was done to death by his rivals at Veyinutalakona Crossroad on the Kadapa-Pulivendula road on Sunday.In a filmi style, Umakanth's rivals chased him and the other accused in the case in a lorry, hit their vehicles, threw bombs and hacked Umakanth to death.Chakarayapeta and Pendlimarri mandals remained tense following the killing and police were on high alert to avert any retaliatory  violence in the mandals.Subbi Reddy, a popular leader and sarpanch of Gandikovuru in Chakarayapeta mandal, was a close follower of YSR Congress party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He was killed by his rivals near Yogi Vemana University in December last. Umakanth Reddy, his brother Ramesh Reddy, their father Ramagopal Reddy and another person were arrested for Subbi Reddy's murder, and remanded to judicial custody. They were released on conditional bail 10 days ago and were asked to report at the Pendlimarri police station every Sunday.This Sunday, the four accused and two others went to the Pendlimarri police station, reported to the station house officer and were returning in two vehicles when their rivals, presumed to be relatives of the murdered Subbi Reddy, were waiting at Veyinutalakona on the Kadapa-Pulivendula route to attack them. When the vehicles carrying Umakanth Reddy and others passed by, they chased them in a lorry, threw country-made bombs on them and rammed their vehicles with the lorry. In a bid to escape, Umakanth's vehicle, a Scorpio, made a sharp turn but its driver lost control and hit a electricity pole. The attackers went up to the vehicle, dragged Umakanth out and hacked him to death with hunting sickles, leaving the others in the vehicle  in a state of shock. The victim's brother and father, who were travelling in another vehicle, a Bolero, suffered injuries. The attackers abandoned the lorry and fled the spot. Police, who rushed there on being alerted, seized the vehicle, three country-made bombs and a hunting sickle from the spot. They shifted the injured to the hospital.