YSRCP youth leader hacked to death on busy main road in Andhra town

27-year-old Sheikh Rashid was assaulted for nearly 5 minutes in the presence of several onlookers. Police said there was no political motive behind the murder and that it was the fallout of a real estate deal.

2 min readHyderabadJul 18, 2024 11:52 AM IST

A purported video of the assault has been doing the rounds on social media (Screenshot)

A youth leader of the YSRCP has been hacked to death on the main road of Vinukonda town in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district.

Sheikh Rashid, 27, was the YSRCP’s youth wing secretary for Palnadu district. According to police, he was assaulted on Wednesday night with a sickle allegedly by one Sheikh Jilani.

Police said a dispute related to a real estate deal was behind the killing. Police are searching for the accused, who is on the run.

A purported video of the assault has been doing the rounds on social media. The assault lasted for nearly five minutes on the busy road by the Mandlamandi bus station in full view of dozens of people. Jilani, who appeared to be inebriated, kept attacking Rashid with the sickle even after he fell to the floor in a semi-conscious state.

By the time police reached the spot, the accused had fled. They took Rashid to hospital, where he was declared dead.

YSRCP leader Sajjala Bharghava Reddy claimed that the accused, Jilani, is a member of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and that the murder was the result of political rivalry.

However, Palnadu Superintendent of Police (SP) K Srinivasa Rao ruled out political rivalry. “They knew each other and had a fallout over some personal issues. We have started a thorough investigation,” the SP said. Officers at Vinukonda police station said the duo had a tiff over a failed real estate deal.

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With tensions running high in Vinukonda town, police have beefed up security. Palnadu had witnessed post-poll violence in April and May as TDP and YSRCP workers attacked each other.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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