TDP leader murdered in Kurnool city

A TDP leader from Kurnool city was murdered brutally allegedly by his rivals in Shareen Nagar locality of the city late on Friday night. The assailants waylaid and attacked him with knives leading to his instant death, the police and eye-witnesses said.

The deceased, Kosapogu Sanjanna (55), hailed from Shareen Nagar and was a corporator earlier when he was in the CPI(M). Later, he joined the YSRCP and his son Jayaram was elected as a corporator from Shareen Nagar. Mr. Sanjanna developed differences with YSRCP leaders and shifted to the TDP. He was a follower of Nandyal MP Byreddy Sabari.

According to Mr. Jayaram, his father strived hard for the development of Shareen Nagar and used to come in the way of local history-sheeters and trouble mongers who allegedly extorted money from poor people. ‘‘Local rowdy-sheeter Vadde Ramanjaneyulu alias Anji bore a grudge against my father for opposing his misdeeds and he was the one behind the attack,’‘ Mr. Jayaram alleged.

He said his father was attacked around 9 p.m. on Friday in their locality. “I received a call at 9.23 pm about the attack on my father and rushed there along with my brothers and family members. By the time we reached there, the assailants were stabbing my father indiscriminately,’‘ Mr. Jayaram claimed. “They came towards us wielding knives and shouting. They tried to attack my brother but he managed to flee into another lane. They attempted to knock down my mother with the car in which they came but she managed to escape with minor injuries,’‘ Mr. Jayaram said.

MP consoles family

Ms. Byreddy Sabari visited the family on Saturday and consoled them. She said she had lost a good party activist who always worked for development of Shareen Nagar. ‘‘Two days back, Mr. Sanjanna called me and brought to my notice the need to construct a mineral water plant and drainage system and I promised to complete them in a year,’‘ she said with tears in her eyes.

Responding to the claims that the main suspect Anji was also a TDP activist, she said action would be taken irrespective of the political affiliation of the accused.

Kurnool IV Town inspector Madhusudhan Goud said they registered a case against Anji and six others based on a complaint given by Mr. Jayaram. Four special teams were formed to trace the accused, he added.

Meanwhile, sources said the vehicles used by the assailants in committing the crime had been recovered by the police.