HYDERABAD: A retired Government employee N. Raji Reddy, 65, died on Saturday allegedly after a businessman's family attacked him over a long pending land dispute at Ameerpet.

`Plea ignored'

Charging that failure of police to respond to their requests for protection led to the murder, the victim's family members staged a demonstration keeping the body before S.R. Nagar police station for a couple of hours. They demanded that Sub-Inspector Venkat Reddy be suspended for not providing security to the victim.

The agitation was called off only when West Zone DCP arrived and assured them of initiating action against the SI. However, police said no external injuries were found on the victim's body.

A resident of Kurma street, Reddy lodged a complaint with the police on August 20 last, stating that a businessman Ranjit Singh illegally started construction in his plot of 274 square yards at Ameerpet.

Case of trespass

He maintained that he secured an order from a local court against any construction activity in the plot. On his complaint, police registered a case of trespass.

Even as the investigation was on, Singh started building a complex stating that MCH authorities had given permission to him after verifying his documents.

Around 11 a.m. on Saturday, Reddy and his family members approached SI Venkat Reddy again and requested him to stop the ongoing construction work at the plot.

When the SI refused to interfere saying it was a civil dispute, they went away.

"We don't know what transpired at the construction site but after some time some of Singh's family members came to us saying Reddy's family attacked them," S.R. Nagar Inspector A. Venkata Ratnam said. Unconvinced by their version, police did not entertain their complaint.

An hour later, Reddy's family members came to the police station along with his body alleging that Singh's family killed Reddy when he asked them to stop the construction work.

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