Ongole: Protests over murder of TDP leader’s wife

Ongole (Prakasam district): TDP leaders on Tuesday staged a protest over the murder of a party leader’s wife, allegedly by a YSRCP leader. They demanded the government to announce ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore and a government job to the kin of the deceased Anganwadi worker Savalam Hanumayamma immediately.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem procedure of Hanumayamma’s body, scheduled to be held on Tuesday, was withheld, as the family members didn’t come forward to sign the requisite forms, demanding justice.

According to locals and victim’s family members, Savalam Hanumayamma of Ravivari Palem in Tangutur mandal was working as an Anganwadi worker, while her husband Savalam Sudhakar is a TDP leader in the village and an ardent supporter of Kondapi MLA Dr Dola Balaveeranjaneya Swamy. As the YSRCP in-charge Varikuti Ashok Babu called for a ‘Chembu Yatra’ from Tangutur to the MLA’s house in Turpu Nayudu Palem on Monday, Sudhakar went to the MLA’s house in support of his leader and participated in the protest against YSRCP.

Savalam Kondala Rao, a distant relative of Savalam Sudhakar’s family, is a YSRCP leader in their village and supports Ashok Babu. Kondala Rao and Sudhakar had disputes over the leadership in the village for quite some time.

Learning about Sudhakar’s departure to Turpu Nayudu Palem on Monday morning and witnessing Hanumayamma coming from Anganwadi centre in Ravivari Palem on Monday afternoon, Kondala Rao crushed her to death under a tractor. Madhuri, daughter of the deceased, who tried to save her mother from the tractor, was also allegedly beaten by the supporters and family members of Kondala Rao.

After receiving information about the brutal murder of Hanumayamma, MLA Swamy and TDP leader Devineni Uma inspected the body at GGH Ongole and consoled her family members.

On Tuesday, MLA Swamy and TDP leader Nakka Ananda Babu demanded the government to announce ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore and a government job to the kin of the Hanumayamma. They alleged that the police are protecting accused Kondala Rao and trying to dilute the case, by not mentioning the relevant sections.

However, the district Collector informed the TDP leaders that he could announce the ex-gratia as per the norms in the SC-ST Act, and cannot go beyond on his own.

Meanwhile, the family members of Hanumayamma denied signing the forms required to conduct the post-mortem and announced that they will wait till Kondala Rao is arrested and justice done to them.