Woman killed for acting as TDP polling agent

ANANTAPUR: Padmavathi, daughter of TDP leader Boya Narasimhulu, was hacked to death along with her father and brother Ramanjaneyulu by their rivals at Kamireddypalle in Dharmavaram mandal on Thursday for acting as a polling agent for TDP in 2009 elections. It is for the first time a housewife was hacked to death in a faction feud in the district.In the last Assembly elections, police at the ‘behest’ of some ruling Congress leaders took Narasimhulu and Ramanjaneyulu into custody citing law and order problem during polling. In their absence, Padmavathi acted as polling agent for TDP. Keeping a grouse against her, Narasimhulu’s rivals murdered Padmavathi, mother of a six-month-old baby, while she was going to RDT Hospital in Battalapalle with her father and brother to undergo a family planning operation. Her husband, Gangaiah, and other family members were devastated on hearing the news of Padmavathi’s murder. After post-mortem, Padmavathi ‘s body was cremated at Yerraiahpalle on Thursday evening. The bodies of Narasimhulu and Ramanjaneyulu were cremated at Kamireddypalle on Friday. Dharmavaram DSP Nawab Jan said a case has been registered against 11 persons, including Congress leader Sudhakar Reddy, and his followers Adi Reddy, Narayana Reddy, Ravulacheruvu Pratap Reddy, Bellam Prakash, Mallakaluva Ramamohan Reddy, Ravindra Reddy, Nagaraju, Dasari Varadappa, Dasari Venkataramulu and former MPTC member Venkatarami Reddy. Additional SP K Sivaiah said special police teams were constituted to nab the assailants. Condemning the triple murder, former TDP minister G Nagireddy alleged that Dharmavaram MLA K Venkatarami Reddy was behind the murder of Narasimhulu and his children.Dharmavaram constituency in-charge and TDP district secretary Varadapuram Suri also suspected the hand of MLA Venkatarami Reddy in the triple murder.