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.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.According to police, 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.Deputy superintendent of police R Srinivas Reddy said the dispute over the tree had been continuing between the two families for nearly 25 years. On Saturday morning, Venkateshwarlu allegedly brought some people and had the tree cut down. 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. Police said Ram Naik allegedly attacked Venkateshwarlu with an axe, inflicting severe injuries that killed him on the spot.In a shocking turn, Ram Naik’s father, Bhukya Saida, who witnessed the attack, reportedly intervened to stop his son. Police said Ram Naik then turned on his father and hacked him with the same weapon, killing him.Investigators suspect the second killing was an attempt to disguise the first. Police said Ram Naik allegedly killed his father to create the impression that Venkateshwarlu had died in a clash between the two groups. 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.Police rushed to the village to restore order. During the ensuing confrontation, some persons pelted stones at Ram Naik, leaving Mellacheruvu sub-inspector Naveen Kumar with a head injury. He was shifted to Huzurnagar area hospital and treated.Investigators said Ram Naik had been involved in frequent disputes with villagers and had filed cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against several people, fuelling friction in the village.Police took Ram Naik into custody for questioning. A case has been registered and investigators are examining the sequence of events that led to the double murder.With tensions continuing in Erragadda thanda following the killings and the attack on police personnel, authorities have deployed a police picket in the village to prevent any further clashes.
