Accusations Against BRS Following Murder of Whistleblower
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Synopsis
The murder of a whistleblower in Telangana alleging corruption has ignited a political scandal, with accusations against BRS leaders by family members and the Congress party. The government is expected to launch an investigation into the incident.
Key Takeaways
- The murder of a whistleblower has raised serious allegations against BRS leaders.
- Local police are investigating potential rival involvement.
- Murthy's previous attempts to report corruption were dismissed by authorities.
- The incident has significant political implications in Telangana.
- Calls for thorough investigations into the murder are growing.
Hyderabad, Feb 20 (NationPress) The brutal killing of a man who lodged a complaint alleging corruption in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) after the piers of the Medigadda barrage collapsed has sparked a significant political controversy in Telangana. His family and leaders from the ruling Congress party are pointing fingers at Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders for the murder.
Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy was viciously killed in Bhupalpally town on Wednesday night.
His spouse, Sarla, a former Councillor of the Bhupalpally Municipality, accused BRS leaders of orchestrating the murder due to his exposure of corruption within the Kaleshwaram project. She specifically implicated a prominent BRS leader.
Murthy, who joined the Congress prior to the 2023 Assembly elections, was assaulted by three to four unidentified attackers wielding sickles and knives as he was walking. The assailants pursued him and brutally murdered him in public.
Local police reported that Murthy was entangled in land disputes and they are considering the possibility of rival involvement in his death. He had previously survived multiple murder attempts.
Nevertheless, Murthy’s family insists that BRS leaders are responsible for his death. Ruling party leaders have also accused the BRS. However, the main Opposition party dismissed these claims.
In light of these allegations, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) is said to have requested information from intelligence agencies.
The Telangana government is poised to initiate a Crime Branch/CID investigation into the murder given the claims made by Murthy’s family.
Notably, Murthy had filed a complaint at the Bhupalpally police station in October 2023, requesting an FIR against then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), then irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, and others after several piers of the Medigadda barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram project, sank.
When the police refused to file an FIR, Murthy approached the local magistrate court, which denied his request.
He then appealed to the Principal Sessions Court in Bhupalpally, which issued notices to KCR, Harish Rao, and others, but the Telangana High Court subsequently granted a stay.
The sinking of the piers at Medigadda provoked a political scandal, with opposition parties blaming the former BRS government for the event due to alleged corruption, inadequate design, and poor construction quality of the project, which is touted as the world's largest lift irrigation initiative.
Both Congress and BJP made this a central issue during the November 2023 Assembly elections.
Prominent Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alongside current Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, visited the barrage during the election campaign.
In the meantime, Congress MLA from Bhupalpally, Gandra Satyanarayana Rao, has called for the government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into Murthy’s murder, asserting that those responsible should face the most severe penalties.
