Suryapet, Aug 29: A bitter dispute over cutting down a backyard neem tree escalated into double murder and violence in Yerragattutanda village of Mellacheruvu mandal in Suryapet district. The accused, identified as Bhukya Ram Naik, hacked his neighbor Manda Venkateswarlu Yadav to death with an axe after Venkateswarlu cut down a neem tree near their adjoining houses. In the chaos, Ram Naik also killed his own father, Saida, who attempted to intervene in the fight.
According to the police, Ram Naik initially tried to frame the rival group by claiming that Venkateswarlu had killed his father Saida during the altercation. However, as the truth emerged, angry villagers and Venkateswarlu’s supporters launched a counter-attack on Ram Naik’s house, forcing him to flee. When Mellacheruvu Sub-Inspector (SI) Naveen and a police team arrived to disperse the violent mob, enraged locals hurled stones and attacked the officers with axes, leaving SI Naveen with head injuries.
Police revealed that the accused, Ram Naik, was a habitual offender who had previously filed false cases against nearly 90 percent of the villagers to harass them. The police have taken Ram Naik, his mother, and his brother into custody for murder and rioting. A heavy police picketing team has been deployed in Yerragattutanda to prevent further violence and restore peace in the village.
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