Hyderabad: The brutal murder of Rajalinga Murthy in his hometown of Bhupalpally on Wednesday night has taken a political turn, with the ruling Congress and Opposition BRS sparring over the incident.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has taken serious note of the murder and directed the Police department to submit a detailed report immediately. The state government is reportedly considering initiating a CID probe following allegations of the involvement of BRS leaders in the murder.

Murthy had previously filed a complaint in a local court against BRS supremo K Chandrashekhar Rao and senior party leader T Harish Rao, holding them responsible for the damage to the Medigadda barrage in the Kaleshwaram project. Following his murder, his family members accused former MLA and BRS leader Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy of being the mastermind behind the crime.

Local police launched an investigation on Thursday, focusing on the possible role of BRS leaders.

Official sources revealed that top police officials briefed the Chief Minister about the incident and the alleged political involvement.

Statements from Murthy’s family were recorded, including details of threats he had received after filing a petition in the court. Investigators are also analyzing phone call data and messages to determine the extent of BRS leaders’ involvement in the case.

Murthy was reportedly attacked by a group of masked assailants who fled the scene immediately after the assault. Several suspects have been taken into custody, and their interrogation is underway. According to sources, arrests of those involved are expected soon.

Bhupalpally DSP Sampath Rao stated that Murthy had been entangled in several land disputes, and authorities are also probing whether any business rivals from the real estate sector could have been responsible for the crime.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Office has instructed district police officials to provide regular updates on the investigation so that a decision can be made regarding a possible CID inquiry.

BRS leader Venkata Ramana Reddy, however, has refuted the allegations, accusing the police of attempting to implicate him in the case without evidence and politicizing the murder.

Amid rising tensions, special police forces were deployed in Bhupalpally on Thursday morning to prevent any untoward incidents and maintain law and order.