VISAKHAPATNAM: The judgment given by the Anakapalle additional district sessions court in the decade-old murder case became a sensation on Wednesday, as the verdict convicted all the 21 out of the 24 (3 of them died during the trial) accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, including the then MLA Chengala Venkat Rao and his fellow Telugu Desam Party leaders of Payakaraopeta assembly constituency. Anakapalle sessions court judge BB Nagendra Rao delivered the verdict in the case.
Beach Mineral Company wanted to establish its unit to explore the beach sand minerals in the areas of Nakkapalli and Payakaraopeta mandals. But the local fishermen community was divided on the establishment of industry and became rivals.
Against the backdrop, in October 2007, at Bangarammapeta, a coastal fishermen village of Nakkapalli mandal, the two groups pelted stones on each other and riots broke, killing a fisherman Gosala Konda.
His family members and relatives alleged that Venkata Rao was behind the riots and he and his followers were the main accused in the death of the fisherman.