Hyderabad : A 25-year feud over a neem tree ended in a chilling double murder in Suryapet on Saturday, with police alleging that a man hacked his neighbour to death and then killed his own father in a desperate attempt to pass off the crime as a clash between rival groups.
Deputy superintendent of police R Srinivas Reddy said the dispute over the tree had been continuing between the two families for nearly 25 years.
Bhukya Ram Naik allegedly attacked and killed his neighbour, Manda Venkateshwarlu Yadav, after learning that the latter had the disputed neem tree beside his house cut down, according to police. Police said Ram Naik allegedly attacked Venkateshwarlu with an axe, inflicting severe injuries that killed him on the spot. Police said Ram Naik then turned on his father and hacked him with the same weapon, killing him. Police said Ram Naik allegedly killed his father to create the impression that Venkateshwarlu had died in a clash between the two groups.
The incident took place at Erragadda thanda in Mellacheruvu mandal, triggering tension in the village and forcing police to deploy a picket to prevent further violence. Ram Naik, who noticed this, confronted him over the decision, referring to the long-standing dispute between the families. What began as a verbal altercation soon turned violent. Investigators suspect the second killing was an attempt to disguise the first. He allegedly tried to portray the incident as a retaliatory attack arising from the neem tree dispute and shift the blame for his father’s death onto Venkateshwarlu’s side. The alleged attempt to mislead villagers unravelled soon after the incident, leading to outrage in the village. Tension escalated as members of Venkateshwarlu’s group attacked Ram Naik’s house.
On Saturday morning, Venkateshwarlu allegedly brought some people and had the tree cut down.