KHAMMAM: Special parties are engaged in the hunt for the killer gang that wreaked vengeance on the residents of Rudrakshapalli village on Sathupalli police station limits.

Some of the relatives of Thatiparthy Ramarao, the dacoit who led the gang, were taken into custody for questioning.

The police sealed all the routes connecting Khammam and Palvancha divisions following information that the gang struck at three more places and decamped with a booty of Rs1 lakh.

They broke into the house of one Gopala Rao at Duradapadu and relieved the inmates of valuables and cash - all worth Rs 1 lakh.

They made no secret of the crimes perpetrated by them in Rudrakshapalli earlier in the evening.

They forced the family to serve them food. At Gandugulapadu, the gang relieved another family of Rs 3,000. They committed a similar dacoity in Banjara village.

Though the dacoit who led the gang belongs to Rudrakshapalli, four others who accompanied him were new to the area.

Bodies brought

They were suspected to have developed friendship with him in jail. Rama Rao has reportedly threatened to come again to the village. Many of the families, which deserted Rudrakhapalli on Wednesday night, are yet to return.

The bodies of the victims were brought back from the hospital in a lorry at 12 noon and handed over to the relatives. Wails rent the air as the bodies were taken out in a procession for the funeral.

Some of the tribal families from the village asked the local MLA either to ensure sufficient protection or provide them with licences to equip themselves with weapons.

A police picket was posted in the village to avoid further trouble.

Two inspectors and half a dozen sub inspectors and two additional superintendents were camping in the village for monitoring the law and order situation in the aftermath of the incident.

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