A 43-year-old Communist Party of India (CPI) leader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in broad daylight when he was on his morning walk at Malakpet in Hyderabad on Tuesday morning, police said.
“The deceased, identified as Chandu Naik, was a state committee member of the CPI. The incident happened at around 7.30 AM when Naik, along with his wife Nari Bai and others, were going on a morning walk at Shalivahana Nagar Park,” said S Chaitanya Kumar, Hyderabad South East Zone deputy commissioner of police. “Four assailants came in a Swift car and opened fire on him indiscriminately, before fleeing the spot. We registered a case of murder and are investigating. We have formed 10 special teams to track down the accused,” he said.
The DCP said five bullets were recovered from the spot.
“With the help of the clues team, all necessary forensic evidence has been collected. We are examining footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the spot and nearby areas. The investigation is also exploring the angle of old rivalries,” he said, adding that the car used by the assailants was identified.
Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that Chandu Naik hailed from Narsayipalli village of Balmur Mandal (block) in Nagarkurnool district and resided in Chaintanyapuri with his family. A few years ago, Chandu Naik switched from the CPI (ML) to the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was also accused in a murder case in LB Nagar in 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that Chandu Naik hailed from Narsayipalli village of Balmur Mandal (block) in Nagarkurnool district and resided in Chaintanyapuri with his family. A few years ago, Chandu Naik switched from the CPI (ML) to the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was also accused in a murder case in LB Nagar in 2022.
{{/usCountry}}“We are investigating whether the murder was due to old rivalries or any land disputes,” Chaitanya Kumar said.
Another police officer who refused to be quoted said all four accused involved in the shooting surrendered to the special operations team police later in the afternoon.
“After due interrogation, they would be formally arrested and produced in the court,” he added.
Nari Bai told reporters that one of the assailants was a former Maoist, who was involved in several land settlements.
“My husband had warned him several times in this regard, and that could be the reason for the murder,” she said.