Seven sentenced to life imprisonment in years-old murder case

A district court in Krishna district has delivered a crucial verdict in a decade-old murder case, sentencing seven men to life imprisonment. The Sessions Court found them guilty of killing K. Rammohan Rao over long-standing enmity. Along with the life term, Judge G. Gopi also imposed a fine of ₹2,000 on each convict. With the judgment, the family believes justice has finally been served in the Rammohan Rao murder case.

Case background

Rammohan Rao, a resident of Gollaguden village in Machilipatnam mandal, had been embroiled in prolonged disputes with a group of men from the same village. On the night of February 28, 2013, the accused reportedly noticed Rammohan Rao alone near a haystack in his field. They attacked him brutally with knives and sticks, killing him on the spot.

The attackers later moved his body to the premises of a temple in Buddhalapallem-Gollagudem, according to the investigation.

Following the incident, police identified nine individuals as suspects and began a detailed inquiry under the supervision of Machilipatnam Rural Circle Inspector A. Pallapuraju.

During the lengthy investigation, two of the accused - Shonti Veerababu and Kagitha Anjaneyulu - died. The remaining seven were found guilty:

• Shonti Pedda Videswara Rao

• Borra Srinivasa Rao

• Borra Swayam Krishna

• Kagitha Somayya

• Shonti Veera Venkateswara Rao

• Shonti Veeranjaneyulu

• Shonti Musalayya

The court held that the prosecution had successfully proved the charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 147, 148, and 302 read with 149, and accordingly sentenced them to life imprisonment.