TRS mandal-level leader among 3 arrested for murder of lawyer couple in Telangana

A local leader of TRS inTelangana and two others were arrested in connection with thegruesome daylight killing of a lawyer couple as the rulingparty suspended him while advocates staged protests againstthe fatal attack.

TRS Manthani mandal unit president Kunta Srinivas alongwith another person allegedly made the murderous attack onGattu Vaman Rao and his wife P V Nagamani on Wednesday as hebore some personal grudge, police said, ruling out as of nowany political reason behind the killing.

According to police, hours before the crime, Srinivas hadattended a programme in Manthani in Peddapalli district aspart of celebration of the birthday of Chief Minister KChandrasekar Rao.

Vaman Rao and his wife, both practicing lawyers inTelangana High Court, weretravelling in a car when theassailantsintercepted the vehicle and attacked themusingknives and other sharp weapons on a main road inPeddapalli disitrict, with the incident drawing widespreadcondemnation.

During his last moments, Vaman Raohad named the TRSleader as beingresponsible for the attack. Vaman Rao's familymembers have alsoalleged a local TRS leader was behindthegruesome act.

During the course of investigation, Srinivas and twoothers have been arrested, police said.

Srinivas was among the two who carried out the attack andboth fled the spot after the incident and later dumped sharpweapons and their blood stained clothes in a barrage, policesaid.

Srinivas and another accused were arrested fromMaharashtra border, Inspector General of Police (North Zone) YNagi Reddy told reporters here.

Srinivas had certain differences with Vaman Rao and hehatched the conspiracy to kill him and his wife, the IGP said.

During interrogation it wasrevealed, the accused boregrudge following differences regarding construction of atemple and a house in Gunjapadugu village, the senior policeofficial said.

Based on the investigations so far, there was nopolitical reasons behind the killing, he said.

The TRS announced the suspension of Srinivas. Thedisciplinary action comes into effect immediately, TRS GeneralSecretary M Srinivas Reddy said in a release.

In a related development, the Telangana State HumanRights Commission (TSHRC) on Thursday souoght a report fromthe state DirectorGeneral of Police by March 10 over thegruesome murder of the lawyer couple.

The commission on its own took cognisanceof media reportsabout the killings.

''Such types of crimes need to be curbed by the law andorder maintaining agency with all itsefforts otherwise thesociety does not have peace at all.It is the duty of thestate to identifyand have a watch in all its areas wherecrimezones are there, which are prone to such types ofincidents,'' it said.

The panel said it feels very badabout the manner inwhich the incident occurred.

The lawyer couple had moved the high court in Septemberlast year complaining that policewere harassing andthreatening them after theywrote a letter (which was taken upas PIL) to the court over alleged custodial death of a manunderManthani police station.

The couple had also filed PILs on variouspublic issuesin different courts, including in thehigh court.

Condemning the killing of the advocatecouple, lawyersheld protests here and some otherplaces in the state onThursday.

They appealed to the government to set up a specialinvestigation team (SIT) to probe thedouble murder andprosecute the accused in a fast-track court. They alsodemanded that the perpetrators be given sternest punishment.

Meanwhile, a bandh was observed bydifferent politicalparties except TRS party inManthani town on Thursday.

Police said the bandh was partial andpeaceful.