TRS councilor hacked to death

Hyderabad: A public representative belonging to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was brutally hacked to death in broad daylight in Telangana's Mahabubabad town on Thursday, police said.

Unidentified men attacked municipal councilor Banoth Ravi (32) with axes after they waylaid him with a tractor.

According to police, Ravi was attacked when he was returning on a motorbike after visiting the municipal office. When he reached near his friend's house, unknown persons blocked his way with a tractor and then attacked him with axes. He was allegedly attacked by four assailants, who came in a car and escaped after the attack.

Locals shifted a profusely bleeding councilor to hospital, where he succumbed while undergoing treatment. Mahabubabad district superintendent of police Sharath Chandra said the assailants had come in a car. He said two of them have been identified. He said the preliminary investigation shows that the killing was due to a dispute in business transactions between the victim and the accused.

"The incident is not political in nature," the SP said. The police have formed four teams to track down the assailants. Ravi was elected as councilor to Mahabubabad municipality as an independent candidate but later joined the ruling party.

TRS MP Maloth Kavitha and other party leaders visited the hospital and consoled the family of Ravi.