East Godavari: TDP Leader Arrested For Spiking Jeelugu Kallu Killing 5 People

KAKINADA: The East Godavari police have arrested a local TDP activist in connection with the death of five tribals who consumed jeelugu kallu (toddy) at Lodhoddi village in  Rajavommangi mandal earlier this month.

District SP M Ravindranath Babu held a press conference on Tuesday and explained how they solved the mystery. The SP said that the accused, Vanthala Rambabu (26), who was the cousin of Rampachodavaram TDP in-charge Vanthala Rajeshwari had an extra-marital affair with the wife of one of the deceased, Pothuru Gangaraju.

All the five victims — Chedala Sugreevu, Vemu Lovaraju, Gangaraju, Busari Sansi Rao, and Kude Yesubabu —were neighbours in the tribal village, and they used to consume toddy collected from a Jeelugu tree belonged to Gangaraju, after returning from the fields.  

A quarrel ensued between Rambabu and Lovaraju on Kanuma day of Sankranti, and he was warned to stay away from Gangaraju’s wife. She also distanced herself from the accused after this which angered him and Rambabu planned to get rid of Gangaraju, the SP said. 

On February 2, Rambabu spiked the toddy with pesticide, which was drunk by Gangaraju’s family and his four friends, the SP added. All of the five fell sick a few hours later and they were shifted to Yeleswaram health centre, where Sugreevu (65) and Lovaraju (25) succumbed. The other three were rushed to the Kakinada GGH, but two of them died on the way. Yesubabu (23) died during treatment at the GGH. On Tuesday morning, the accused Rambabu was arrested and a container containing pesticide was seized from him. The accused was sent to judicial remand by a local court.  Vanthala Rajeshwari tried to cover up for his actions and even tried to form a fact-finding committee to find out the truth about their deaths. But after the case was solved and the accused arrested they were left red-faced.

SP M Ravindranath Babu congratulated Additional SP Krishnakanth Patel and Kakinada Crime DSP S Rambabu for solving the case mystery.

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