Two held for TDP leader's murder in Vishakhapatnam

Police on Saturday arrested two persons in connection with the murder of a local TDP leader last week and prima facie believe that it was a fallout of an old rivalry.

The arrested accused include a history-sheeter and a car driver. Some sharp-edged weapons, Rs 95,000 in cash and gold ornaments valued at Rs 1.7 lakh and a motorcycle were recovered from them. The deceased identified as Kilaparthy Appalanaidu (31) was stabbed to death at Akkayyapalem here on July 12.

According to police, Appalanaidu allegedly owed Rs 1.2 lakh to one of the accused Mylapalli Sagar (39), a car driver, while the other accused is identified as Vasupalli Lakshmana Rao alias Kranti (44), a history sheeter.

Sagar had reportedly given the money to the TDP leader to secure him a house under JNNURM scheme, said DCP (Law & Order) M Srinivas. He said that one Siriki Srinu, who is also friend of Sagar, had allegedly offered Rs 4 lakh to the latter to eliminate Applanaidu as the deceased allegedly had an illicit relation with a woman with whom Srinu was also having an affair. Srinu allegedly paid 'advance' of Rs 2.8 lakh to the accused duo.

"Sagar accepted the offer and joined hands with Kranti, employed as a sanitary supervisor at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. The duo attempted to kill Appalanaidu on three occasions in the past but failed before finally succeeding on the night of July 12," Srinivas said.

Police said that Srinu as well as another suspect, identified as SV Ramana, are still at large.