A week after a violent clash between two groups left a realtor dead in Vijayawada, the city police have arrested as many as 13 people for being allegedly involved in the rioting and creating unrest in the city.
Last week, videos surfaced on social media which showed two groups of youngsters in a bizarre street fight with sticks, knives and boulders in Vijayawada city. The daylight violence in the Patamata area of the city left many in shock.
While several sustained serious injuries, one person by the name Thota Sandeep succumbed at a private hospital in the city. His rival Manikanata alias Pandu was first taken to Vijayawada Government hospital and then shifted to Guntur Government hospital for treatment.
Based on the evidence and information given by relatives of both the parties, Patamata police have registered cases against both the parties.
According to Vijayawada city police, Thota and Pandu were like friends and had a cordial relationship before they became rivals. Almost all the accused were under the age of 25 except one.
Speaking to the media, Vijayawada City Commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, said that the reason behind the clash was that the deceased Thota Sandeep and Manikanta, both were involved in settling an issue between two realtors. According to police investigation, two realtors had developed differences over a venture in seven cents of land in Yanamalakuduru of the city and one of them (realtors) had approached Battu Nagababu.
On May 29, the two realtors and Battu Nagababu, Thota Sandeep and Manikanta, happened to meet to resolve the land dispute. Later on the same day, enraged by Manikanta's involvement in the same matter which he was looking into, Thota allegedly had a verbal spat with Manikanta over the phone.
Thota then went to Manikanta’s house to confront him and had a heated exchange with his mother. Next day morning, on the day of clashes, Manikanata along with a few of his allies went to Sandeep's steel shop and attacked two of his allies.
On the same day, both groups decided to come with their own plans to meet near Grace Church in Thota Vari Veedhi. Even as they were talking, both groups started attacking each other with chilli powder, knives and blades, stones.
Commissioner of Police (CP) said, “What began as a dialogue between the two groups, soon escalated into serious clashes as one of them threw chilli in a person’s eye and attacked another person with a stick."
He further added, "Both the persons who led these gangs were severely injured and have been shifted to hospitals by their own members."
The CP has also said that this particular incident was triggered following Thota Sandeep questioning Manikanta about his interference in the settlement that he was looking into.
CP further said that they're suspecting the roles of persons other than those arrested, and added that the remaining suspects will be apprehended soon.
Six teams have been formed to investigate the case. Police have seized a machete, knife snap cutter, chicken-knife and rod along with six folding blades and four blades, and three motorcycles from the accused.
Vijayawada city police said that there will be intense vigilance in sensitive areas of the city to check on activities that threaten peace.