The Dwaraka Tirumala police have arrested six persons on the charge of murdering YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Ganji Naga Prasad (59), at G. Kothapalli village of Dwaraka Tirumala mandal in Eluru district.
Three motorcycle-borne persons had beheaded Naga Prasad when he was on his way to purchase milk in the village on April 30.
The murder had created panic in the mandal, following which the police deployed additional forces and arranged pickets in the village.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma said the arrested were B. Bazaraiah (MPTC member), M. Suresh, S. Hemanth, G. Nagarjuna, U. Mohan, and Reddy Satyanarayana, all native of G. Kothapalli.
In a bid to gain supremacy in the village, Bazaraiah had hatched the plan to eliminate Prasad, and roped in the remaining accused to execute the plan, Mr. Sharma said.
As per the plan, Nagarjuna, Hemanth, Suresh and Mohan conducted a recce on April 27 and 28 to observe the movements of Prasad, he said. Though they had thought of executing their plan on April 29, they backtracked due to fear.
The accused had assembled again that night (April 29), consumed liquor, and waited at a petrol bunk till morning. At around 7.30 a.m., when they found Prasad on a two-wheeler, the accused hit him and killed him using knives, the SP said.
The police launched a manhunt to nab the remaining accused, Mr. Sharma added.
