Rajalingamurthy was riding a two-wheeler when he was waylaid and attacked on Wednesday, a day before the high court was to hear KCR's petition seeking the dismissal of the case.
Published Feb 20, 2025 | 5:07 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 20, 2025 | 6:05 PM
Five bike-borne men waylaid and fatally assaulted Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy in Bhupapally town on 19 February.
Synopsis: Police suspect a property dispute led to the murder of Rajalingamurthy in public view. The man had earlier complained against KCR, T Harish Rao, and a few government officials in connection with the sinking of Medigadda piers. Rajalingamurthy was killed in Bhupalpally town, a day before the high court was to hear KCR’s petition requesting it to quash the case.
Even as the Jayashankar Bhupalpally police in Telangana said, prima facie, a property dispute had led to the murder of Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy on Wednesday, 19 February, the ruling Congress suspected a political angle.
Rajalingamurthy, 50, who had filed a case against former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, his nephew and ex-minister T Harish Rao, and a few government officials, was waylaid and fatally assaulted near the Telangana Coal Mine Workers’ Association office in Bhupalpally town at 7 pm on Wednesday.
After the murder, the Congress pointed an accusing finger at the BRS, saying that it was involved in the politics of murder. The ruling party called the murder a hit job and demanded a CBI investigation.
The BRS refuted the charges and said the Congress was misleading the public.
Rajalingamurthy had filed a case against Chandrashekar Rao, Harish Rao, and government officials in October 2023, holding them responsible for the collapse of the piers of the Medigadda Barrage, a part of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
Accusing KCR and others of misappropriating funds meant for the barrage construction, he had initially approached the Bhupalpally police but later moved a local court following alleged police inaction.
Rajalingamurthy was riding a two-wheeler when he was waylaid and attacked on Wednesday, a day before the high court was to hear KCR’s petition seeking the dismissal of the case.
Eyewitnesses told the police that five men on two bikes attacked Rajalingamurthy with an iron rod before stabbing him in the stomach.
The attacked man was left on the road until his wife, Sarala Rajalingamurthy, a former councillor in the Bhupalpally Municipality, arrived at the scene. Though he was shifted to a hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival.
In her complaint, Sarala named five men: Kumar More, Kumar Kotthuri, Sanjeev Renukuntla, Pingali Shemanth, and Komuraiah Renikuntla. Rajalingamurthy had been reportedly locked in a property dispute with Sanjeev and Kamuraiah.
The police registered an FIR against five suspects under sections 191(2), 191(3), 61(2), 126(2), and 103(2) read with 190 of the BNS, and formed a team under Bhupalpally DSP A Sampath Rao to probe the murder.
“We have appointed the Bhupalpally DSP to head the investigation. We have secured some clues and CCTV footage that helped in identifying the accused,” Jayashankar Bhupalpally SP Kiran Kare told South First.
“We have not made any arrests yet. However, preliminary investigation points at a land dispute, which Sarala also said. We are checking if there are any other motives involved,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
