Medak village on edge after family rivalry kills two in 24 hours
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
A deadly cycle of retaliatory violence has left Suraram village in Telangana's Medak district on edge after a family feud claimed two lives within 24 hours on Monday, 23 June. Police have deployed additional forces in the village, located in Chinna Shankarampet mandal, to prevent further bloodshed.
The First Killing: Targeted Attack on a Motorbike
According to police, a youth identified as Sridhar was travelling on a motorbike towards Anantasagar village in Chegunta mandal when an autorickshaw allegedly rammed into him, killing him on the spot. Investigators suspect the collision was a deliberate, targeted attack rather than an accident.
Sridhar's family alleged that R. Prabhakar, a fellow resident of Suraram, orchestrated the killing due to a longstanding enmity between the two families. Grief-stricken relatives staged a protest and initially refused to allow police to move the body, demanding justice before any postmortem. Senior police officials intervened and eventually convinced the family to allow the body to be transferred to the government hospital at Toopran for examination.
The Second Killing: Revenge Attack at Midnight
Hours after Sridhar's death, his family members went to Prabhakar's home at midnight seeking revenge. Prabhakar was reportedly not present. The group subsequently located his father, Yadagiri, near a roadside eatery, abducted him, attacked him with boulders, and threw him into a stream. Yadagiri died as a result of the assault.
Police rushed to the scene, recovered Yadagiri's body from the stream, and transferred it to the government hospital at Narsapur for a postmortem. Those allegedly responsible for Yadagiri's killing have reportedly surrendered to police, according to officials.
Police Response and Investigation
Senior police officers visited Suraram village following both incidents. An officer confirmed that separate investigations are underway into each case. Additional police forces have been stationed in the village to deter any further acts of retaliatory violence between the two families.
The twin killings have cast a shadow of fear over the village community, with residents wary of further escalation. Authorities are expected to maintain a heightened security presence until tensions subside.