Representative image showing a dead body.
Credit: iStock Photo
Salapaka: Three members of a family were bludgeoned to death here over a controversy that emanated due to an old extra-marital affair, police said on Friday.
B Chinnaiah (48), his younger brother B Raju (42) and son B Ramesh (24) were allegedly beaten to death by their neighbours living in the opposite house around 9 pm on Thursday, the Diwali day, an official said.
Kakinada sub-divisional police officer Raghuveer Vishnu said the trio was allegedly murdered by P Baby (44), her husband P Nagabushanam and their children Subrahmanyam, Dora Babu and Vinod.
"Chinnaiah and Baby (44) were in an illicit relationship, which led to disputes between their families. Five years ago, there was a dispute resolution between the families and they were warned not to meet each other," Vishnu told PTI.
As they were not able to meet, Vishnu said Chinnaiah started openly abusing and talking ill about Baby in the village, which led to another dispute resolution recently, resulting in a warning to Chinnaiah to refrain from such activities.
However, a drunken Chinnaiah again spoke ill of Baby on Thursday night, prompting the latter's family to attack him with iron rods, police said.
Baby's family also did not spare Chinnaiah's brother Raju and son Ramesh when they came to his rescue, leading to the death of all three persons.
According to police, the three men were beaten indiscriminately.
Incidentally, the victims could not retaliate as they were in a drunken condition.
Later, Baby and family members put sickles in the hands of the victims to create an impression that they were attacked by the deceased persons, said Vishnu.
Meanwhile, police nabbed all the five members of Baby's family and arrested them under various legal sections and are continuing with their probe.