Telangana lawyer couple’s murder: Cops call it pre-planned act by professional killers

Hours after the daylight brutal murders of an advocate couple in Telangana's Peddapalli district, police said that the killings were executed by professional killers. Well-known advocates Gattu Vaman Rao and his wife Nagamani who were travelling in a four-wheeler on Wednesday were waylaid and killed on the road by unknown assailants. The incident happened at around 2.30 pm, 16 kilometres away from Manthani town on Manthani -Peddapalli highway.

Speaking to the media following the incident, Ramagundam Police Commissioner V Sathyanarayaana said, "While they were travelling, some assailants have brutally stabbed them to death after overtaking their vehicle and stopping it." The assailants, who travelled in an SUV had blocked the vehicle of the couple, leaving them with no escape route.

Traffic briefly came to a halt on both sides as motorists and bystanders watched the killings in horror. Some passersby captured the brutal murders on their phone cameras. One video shows assailants escaping in their SUV after the murders.

Vaman Rao and Nagamani belonged to Gunjipadiga village in the Peddapalli district. According to police, the victim Vaman Rao in his dying testimony told bystanders that he believed Kunta Srinivas was behind the attack. Kunta Srinivas, who belongs to Gunjapadugu village, is allegedly TRS Manthani mandal president.However, the police are yet to confirm this. 

After the incident was reported to the police, the couple were taken to Peddapalli government hospital for treatment. However, they succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment, said CP Ramagundam.

"We have begun the investigation assuming that the murders were planned in advance and carried out by professional killers. Gattu Vaman Rao's father Kishan Rao in his complaint alleged that Kunta Srinivas and Akkapaka Kumar have killed them at the behest of Vasanth Rao." the CP said. Vasanth Rao also belongs to Gunjapadugu village. 

The CP said that three teams have been constituted to nab Kunta Srinivas, while few persons related to him were taken into custody.  As many as six teams have been formed to investigate the case, with three DCPs (Deputy Commissioner of Police), two Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) along with assistance from the Task Force and Police Cyber Security Wing.

The couple were returning to Hyderabad after appearing in a local court. The lawyer couple had recently filed a petition in High Court over the alleged custodial death of Seelam Rangaiah, a Dalit man who was arrested under the charges of poaching willd animals.

At the time, the HC tasked the Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar to probe the allegations over custodial death.

However, the couple recently sought protection from the HC alleging that they were being harassed by the police  for seeking a probe into the custodial death.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing a plea by the couple that the police were allegedly harassing them with several FIRs in remote police stations in Telangana. The court had extended protection to the couple and posted the matter for further hearing in April.

Meanwhile, the Telangana High Court Advocates Association (THCAA) in a statement condemened the murder and sought prosecution of the culprits without any delay.

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A protest call was also given by the THCAA, civil society groups and opposition parties crying foul over the brutal murders that shook the state.