Gang rivalry comes to the fore

Nine rowdy sheeters held for ‘plotting to eliminate’ their rivals

The City Task Force team led by ACP A. Trinad Rao apprehended nine persons of a 11-member gang, who were allegedly planning to kill two rowdy sheeters of a different gang, here on Monday.

All the nine arrested are rowdy sheeters and belong to the Chittimamu gang.

The arrested have been identified as Shankar Goud Shan alias Pillikallu, Ambati Madhusudhana Rao alias Madhu, Gudla Vinod Kumar Reddy alias Rama Talkies Vinod, Palla Lokesh alias Puli, Jaggupalli Rambabu alias Mahesh alias Bathu, Erothu Bhaskar Rao, Barikina Ravi, Gedala Siva Kumar alias Gajini and Illapu Hema Santosh. The two absconding have been identified as Jaitesh alias Jagadeesh and Merugu Sai.

The CTF team also seized one sword, four iron rods, three steel rods, two four- wheelers and three mobile phones from their possession. According to Mr. Trinad Rao, based on a tip-off that the gang was planning to kill two other rowdy sheeters Dhoni Satish and Vasupalli Chinna from another gang, the CTF team raided a place near Kancharapalem and apprehended them.

The city has been plagued with the rivalry between two gangs, one belonging to Telugu Anil Kumar, Khasim and Bathina Murali and the other belonging to Merugu Chittibabu alias Chittimamu, since 2014.

Prior to 2014, there was only one major gang in the city, which was led by Telugu Anil Kumar, and Chittimamu and Khasim, were his trusted lieutenants.

In 2014, Anil Kumar allegedly killed B. Rajesh, brother of Chittimamu, and one Nagesh, in a double murder, over some dispute on extortion money.

Since then, Chittimamu formed his own gang and the city has seen a bitter rivalry between both the gangs and a series of sensational revenge killings.

In 2015, Chittimamu allegedly eliminated Anil Kumar near Alipuram and Anil’s gang was taken over by Khasim and Bathina Murali.

In 2016, Khasim and Murali allegedly orchestrated the killing of Natchu, a key member of Chittimamu’s gang, and in the same year Podugu Kiran, a prominent member of Chittimamu’s gang, reportedly committed suicide in the Central Jail.

Chittimamu’s gang had allegedly eliminated Khasim in a daring attack near LIC Building in 2018. Thereafter, there has been a lull, as most of them were in jail or expelled from the city.

But it is learnt that they are back and Chittimamu’s gang was planning to eliminate Satish and Chinna, both members of Khasim gang, and who are among the main the accused in the 2014 double murder case.

Both Satish and Chinna, had recently come out on bail and seizing this as an opportunity, the murder attempt was being planned, said Mr. Trinad Rao.

The arrested along with the seized material have been handed over to Kancharapalem Police Station for further action.

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