WORDS OF COMFORT: Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash consoling family members of Bheemaneni Kondaiah in Bellary on Tuesday.

BELLARY: Bheemaneni Kondaiah, President of the Bellary district unit of Janata Dal (S), and his driver were hacked to death on National Highway 63 near Toranagal in the district on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 12.30 p.m. when Mr. Kondaiah was returning to Bellary after meeting Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash and Minister for Finance and Industries P.G.R. Sindhia in Hospet in the morning. When his car reached Boodhikanive, on the outskirts of Toranagal, a van crashed into Mr. Kodaiah's vehicle, and eight persons carrying weapons attacked Mr. Kondaiah and his driver. Mr. Kondaiah's assailants fled in the van but abandoned at a distance from the crime scene.

The police started a search for Mr. Kondaiah's assailants after making arrangements to shift his body to the VIMS Hospital here. Mr. Kondaiah was declared dead at the hospital. His driver, Pawadi, died a couple of hours later. Sources said Mr. Kondaiah had been alerted about the possibility of attacks.

There was rivalry between the groups led by Mr. Kondaiah and Suryanarayan, President of the Hospet Taluk Panchayat, who was shot dead in 2003. However, it was said the Kondaiah group was not involved in Suryanarayan's killing.

A couple of months ago, Narasaiah, Suryanarayan's brother, was murdered, allegedly by Mr. Kondaiah's group. Mr. Kondaiah's brothers figured in the list of the accused. Tuesday's killing is said to be in retaliation for Narasaiah's murder.

The Toranagal police have registered a case. Mr. Kondaiah represented Hospet in the Legislative Assembly between 1985 and 89.

On hearing about Mr. Kondaiah's murder, Janata Dal (S) leaders, workers and others gathered at the VIMS Hospital. Among them were Mr. Prakash; Mr. Sindhia; Minister for Sugar Amaregowda L. Patil Bayypur; Bellary MP Karunakar Reddy; and legislators. Mr. Prakash told presspersons the police have clues about the killers, and a cellphone was recovered from the crime scene.

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