Hyderabad: The police has been criticised for not being able to prevent the murder of Jerigalla Ramesh despite being present on the spot. Members of the public who tried to prevent the murder were threatened with an axe.
Three videos of the incident captured by onlookers have gone viral on social media. At least three policemen — a traffic constable and two constables in civil dress — were seen at the spot failing to prevent the murder.
In the video grabs, traffic constable Lingamurthy of Cyberabad police and some passers-by are seen attempting to prevent the murder by getting hold of Kishan Goud and Laxman Goud, but in vain.
Explaining the incident, Mr Lingamurthy said, “I was on patrolling duty, clearing vehicles parked on the road. At around 1.30 pm, Ramesh, who was in an auto, jumped out and screamed for help saying he will be killed. I immediately made him sit on my bike and tried to move ahead, but the accused got hold of my bike and pushed it down. We both fell on the road. Before I could get up, they started attacking Ramesh after chasing him for some distance. They had an axe and a knife. Exchanging the weapons between them, they hacked him to death.”
Mr Lingamurthy said that he and some members of the public “tried our best to save Ramesh’s life. The accused were pushing us away and hacked multiple times. Before another police vehicle reached the spot, Ramesh was dead. One of the passers-by picked up a helmet and hit the accused. But, they accused were armed and waved the axe at us threateningly.”
An eye-witness to the murder said, “The public and police both panicked after a brief brawl with the accused, as the latter were armed. Though the policemen stepped out of the vehicle when the victim was being hacked, they did not step forward to save his life.” Hundreds of people gathered at the spot soon after the murder. Many had recorded the murder on their mobile phones.
Denying allegations that the police had failed to prevent the murder Shamshabad DCP N.Prakash Reddy said: “Traffic constable Lingamurthy made all possible efforts to save Ramesh. The onlookers also tried to stop the accused, but the two were drunk and overpowered the public and the policeman and attacked the victim.”
He said the two other policemen who reached the spot after the murder they apprehended the accused. “It was a crime team in civil dress and they caught the accused and handed them over to the police,” the official said.
