'Conduct fair probe into Telangana lawyer couple murder': Congress to meet Governor

Congress leaders led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Uttam Kumar Reddy plan to meet Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday, seeking a fair probe into the murders of advocates Gattu Vaman Rao and PV Nagamani, who were killed in broad daylight in Telangana’s Peddapalli district last week. Congress leaders allege a nexus between the killers and the ruling TRS party leaders. They claim that though preliminary investigation revealed that some TRS leaders had been associated with the crime, the police had taken no action against them.

The police had arrested TRS Manthani mandal president Kunta Srinivas, the prime accused in the crime. Srinivas is a close aide of former Manthani MLA and Peddapalli Zilla Parishad Chairman Putta Madhukar. Besides Srinivas, police had also arrested Bittu Seenu, nephew of Putta Madhukar, for his role in assisting in the murders. Seenu had provided the car and sickles which were used to kill Vaman Rao and his wife Nagamani, according to the police.

An alleged audio conversation of Srinivas hiring contract killers to eliminate Madhukar’s rivals during the Assembly election in 2018, emerged during the investigation of the advocate couple’s murder. Based on all these reports, both the Congress party and the BJP suspect a deep involvement of TRS leaders in the crime. The opposition parties maintain that the police are trying to shield the TRS leaders, particularly Putta Madhukar.

According to the Congress, the sand mafia, TRS leaders and the police collaborated in the murders. The Congress party had earlier sought a CBI inquiry into the case.

On January 17, the advocate couple were waylaid and hacked to death near Kalvacherla under Ramagiri police station limits in Peddapalli district on a busy road with sheer impunity.  According to the police, ongoing legal battles between Kunta Srinivas and Vaman Rao were the reasons behind the murders. Police had denied any political connection in the crime.

Police said that Vaman Rao had objected to the construction of a house by Srinivas, and in another instance a temple construction by Srinivas was also blocked by the lawyer. Bearing a grudge against Vaman Rao for his intervention, Srinivas killed Vaman Rao and his wife, police had said.