Vijayawada: Jaggayyapeta police arrested six individuals in connection with a murder that took place on Feb 27 during the Maha Shivaratri celebrations. The incident occurred near Cheruvu Bazaar in Jaggayyapeta, where a violent altercation led to the brutal killing of a local resident. One juvenile suspect was also taken into custody and sent to a juvenile home. The arrested individuals were identified as Battula Kishore Babu (25), Bhaktula Venkata Shivakumar (19), Bandi Sai Ankam Rao (19), Bandi Ravi Kumar (23), Vemula Jwala Narasimha Rao (23), Rupana Vinay (19), and one juvenile, all from Cheruvu Bazaar in Jaggayyapeta.
Jaggayyapeta Circle Inspector Venkateswarlu and his team examined the crime scene. The accused were tracked and arrested at the Padmavati Nagar check post in Jaggayyapeta.
According to Venkateswarlu, all the accused are residents of the same village and were addicted to alcohol and other vices. The victim, Battula Srinu, was known as a respected elder in the village and often intervened in disputes, resolving them and earning a good reputation among locals. The accused harboured resentment towards Srinu, believing that his influence prevented them from gaining prominence in the village.
In a premeditated act, the group decided to eliminate Srinu. They planned to provoke a confrontation during the Maha Shivaratri procession. As per their plan, the accused deliberately initiated a fight with Srinu’s nephew, Orsu Nagababu. When Srinu stepped in to mediate, the group attacked him, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and back with a knife. Srinu’s elder brother, Battula Venkateswarlu, was also stabbed in the shoulder when he attempted to intervene.
