TRS leader Tammineni Krishnaiah hacked to death in Khammam

Khammam: In a shocking incident, a TRS leader, Tammineni Krishnaiah was murdered brutally in broad daylight at Teldarupalli village of Khammam Rural mandal in the district on Sunday.

The 55-year-old leader of Teldarupalli was hacked to death minutes after he hoisted the national flag at Ponnekal Rythu Vedika in the mandal. He was the director of Tekulapalli PACS and joined TRS from CPM sometime back.

The assailants waylaid at Maddulapalli double bedroom houses near Teldarupalli village, attacked him with sickles, axes and knives and left him dead in a pool of blood by the roadside.

The attackers have cut off the wrists of Krishnaiah and were said to have taken with them as the dead body was missing both the wrists. He was travelling on a motorbike along with his car driver K Muttesham when the incident took place.

An auto-rickshaw hit the motorbike on which the duo was travelling as they fell down; the assailants stabbed Krishnaiah indiscriminately, killing him on the spot, Muttesham, the eye-witness to the incident, told the locals. He reportedly identified some of the attackers.

Krishnaiah happens to be a cousin of CPM State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram and a close associate of former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao. It was said that attempts on Krishnaiah's life occurred a few times after he left CPM, getting his wife Mangatayi elected as the local MPTC member and his victory in cooperative society elections.

The followers of Krishnaiah held CPM responsible for the murder, which created a sensation on the day when all were celebrating the Independence Day. Several TRS leaders condemned the murder of Krishnaiah.

Meanwhile, the followers of the deceased leader attacked the residence and guest house of a man, Tammineni Koteshwara Rao suspecting his role in the murder. Heavy police deployment was made to prevent any untoward incidents.