Nine Arrested in Veeraiah Chowdary Murder Case
The other arrested include contract killers from Nellore and political associates of Chowdary’s rivals.
Nellore: In a “chilling case of political vendetta and contract killing,” the police have arrested nine men in connection with the murder of Telugu Desam leader, liquor baron and former MP P Muppavarapu Veeraiah Chowdary.
The arrests were announced by cops on Wednesday. Chowdary was stabbed to death inside his office on April 22. The attack occurred around 7.30pm, on the second floor of the Shashirekha Agency Building in Sambasiva Nagar, Ongole.
Veeraiah was verifying liquor shop accounts when four masked assailants stormed in, stabbed him repeatedly and threatened staff before fleeing on a motorcycle and a scooty via the Guntur flyover.
A case was registered at Ongole taluk police station the same night and an investigation was launched under the guidance of Prakasam SP Damodar and Ongole DSP Srinivas Rao.
On Wednesday, the police confirmed the arrest of nine accused, including the alleged mastermind Borlagunta Vinod Kumar, who had a longstanding grudge against the victim over losses in the sand business.
The other arrested include contract killers from Nellore and political associates of Chowdary’s rivals.
Veeraiah, a prominent figure in the Telugu Desam and an influential businessman, had long-standing disputes with two fellow villagers—Alla Sambasiva Rao and Muppa Suresh—over village-level political dominance. Investigations revealed that Sambasiva Rao and Suresh, seeking to eliminate Veeraiah, enlisted Vinod Kumar, with an offer to clear a `10 lakh debt and further payment after the murder.
Vinod, who had ties to criminal elements in Nellore, assembled a murder squad including Tuvar Vamsi Krishna, Mannem Teja (@ Bunny), Bellamkonda Venkata Goutham, and Golla Ruthyendra Babu (@ Nani). They carried out the meticulously planned hit, with surveillance and coordination from other associates.
The killers stayed in PG hostels and used local hideouts in Ongole before the attack. Weapons were supplied, getaway vehicles arranged, and even decoys used, to avoid detection. Veeraiah’s body was identified by his attire—a grey shirt—on the day of the killing.
Based on surveillance footage and evidence found in an abandoned scooty, special police teams tracked and arrested the accused. Seized items include, seven mobile phones, three knives, one black bag, and two vehicles the accused used in the escape: a Hero Honda Splendor and a Suzuki Access-125.
Three suspects—Muppa Suresh, Obili Nagaraju, and Golla Ruthyendra Babu (@ Nani)—are absconding.
The arrested include Borlagunta Vinod Kumar, 32, Koppolu road, near Dreams School, Ongole; Tuvvara Vamsi Krishna, @ Jalsa Vamsi 28, Balaji Nagar, Yesaiah nagar, Nellore; Bellamkonda Venkata Gowtham 32, Bakthavatsala nagar, Opposite Krishna Mandir, Nellore town; Mannem Teja 21, Damaramadugu village, Buchireddypalem mandal, Nellore district, Marturi Kiran 39, who lived in the back side of Pochamma temple, Neredumitta, Hyderabad; Sk Sameer 22 yrs, from 1st lane, Balaram colony, Ongole; Alla Sambasiva Rao @ Sambaiah 61, Ammanabrolu village, NG Padu mandal; Veeragandham Devendranath Chowdary 30, Ammanabrolu village, NG Padu mandal; and Tota Srinivasa Rao 40, Dasarivaripalem, NG Padu mandal.
