Telangana Advocate Couple Sought Police Protection After Threats Last September

The brutal murder of the High Court  lawyer  couple Gattu Vamana Rao and Nagamani in broad daylight has sent shock waves across the State of Telangana. As per the dying man's testimony recorded by an onlooker, the advocate had named former MPTC, TRS mandal president from Manthani, Kunta Srinivas, in the attack.

Watch: Telangana High Court Lawyer Couple Hacked To Death Near Peddapalli, Assailants Flee In SUV

Police have registered a case against three people in connection with the murder of the lawyer couple. Kunta Srinivas, Akkapaka Kumar and Vasantha Rao of Gunjanipadugu village were said to be the key accused after Vaman Rao's father Gattu Kishan Rao lodged a complaint against them. Akkapaka Kumar, one of the main accused, is currently in police custody, Commissioner Satyanarayana told Sakshi. It is noteworthy that only one of the two who escaped the murder is in their custody. Whether the main accused Kunta Srinivas  has been arrested or not is likely to be known on Thursday.

Gattu Vaman Rao's parents

Manthani MLA Duddilla Sridharbabu, MLC Jeevan Reddy and BJP state president Bandi Sanjay alleged that the couple was killed due to police failure. They said that even though the police knew that the advocates' family was in danger they did not provide protection, and that they were dealing with the ruling party, and  were filing cases against the police in the court. He also demanded that government officials carry out a full investigation into the killing of the lawyers. Leaders of several parties said that they were murdered for questioning the wrongdoings of ruling party leaders. Several bar associations have passed resolutions calling for the closure of courts to protest the killings of advocate couple.

Interestingly the main conspirator Kunta Srinivas, was said to be present at the birthday celebrations of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao on Wednesday. Zilla Parishad chairman Putta Madhu along with KCR attended the birthday celebrations at a function in Manthani in the morning. Police are verifying his movements if he had gone after the celebrations as the murder took place in the area around 2.30 pm.

It is known that Vaman Rao was known to be part of many controversial cases against the ruling party leaders. Apart from Peddapalli district, the couple were arguing several cases in Mancherial, Karimnagar, Hyderabad, Warangal, Rangareddy and Andhra Pradesh. Cases were filed in the High Court against the then Peddapalli Collector Devasena, District Panchayat Officer Sudarshan and District Officers on the issue of misappropriation of funds of Manthani Mandal Gunjapadugu Grama Panchayat were also to be one of the reasons. Putta Madhu was convicted of amassing illicit assets while he was an MLA. Complaints have been lodged against Putta Madhu even at the Central level.

Vamana Rao was also defending a case filed by one lady named Ayesha against Putta Shailaja ,during the municipal elections. He had also filed a petition in the High Court and drew the attention of the Chief Justice in the custodial death case of one Seelam Rangaiah, at the Manthani police station. Sheelam Rangaiah was brought to the Manthani Police Station, and was

The deceased Seelam Rangaiah was kept under lock-up for four days and was allegedly subjected to custodial torture. Subsequently, unable to bear this he died in the lock up. The couple also brought to the Court's notice that they were being subjected to police harassment and false cases were being filed against them in various places.  The police registered cases of atrocity and cheating against the couple at the Basant Nagar police station. The High Court in September had issued orders to the police department not to call the couple to any police station in Telangana till the completion of the Rangaiah case hearing is over.