Two groups of young men in Vijayawada got into a brutal fight on Saturday, thrashing each other with sticks, stones and even knives in a street brawl in broad daylight. The police said that they were drunk at the time of the incident.
Disturbing visuals surfaced from the incident which showed two groups of young men gathered in a circle and confronting each other. Many of them are seen holding long sticks in their hands. As tensions heighten, the young men begin attacking each other, picking up big stones and hurling it at each other.
As some people fall to the ground, others gather and start beating them with the sticks as they try to hit back.
In another video, one of the young men is seen carrying a sickle and walking away from the fight in what seems to be a blood-stained shirt. Another person is seen walking next to him with a long knife.
They then get on a few two-wheelers and ride away even as local residents can be seen on the road outside their houses, watching the ruckus unfold.
Video from #Vijayawada shows two groups in a street brawl in broad daylight with sticks, stones and knives. Police has taken note of the incident. Case has been registered pic.twitter.com/9AEP1lvbbo
— Nitin B (@NitinBGoode) May 31, 2020
The police said that several youngsters were injured, while some had to be rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Speaking to TNM, Patamata Station House Officer (SHO) R Suresh Reddy said, "The incident took place yesterday and was a fight between two groups led by one Sandeep and one Manikanta. They seem to know each other and the fight broke out about a personal issue."
"They were in an inebriated state during the incident. We have registered a case under Section 307 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for now. We will detain the accused soon," he added.
Further investigation is underway. Such 'gang wars', as they are dubbed, are not new to Vijayawada.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Vijayawada was a hotbed of political activity and gang rivalries and faction violence was common, the most prominent one being between the families of Vangaveeti Ranga and Devineni 'Nehru' Rajasekhar.