A 49-year-old activist was tragically murdered in his home district of Jayashankar Bhupalpally on Wednesday evening. He previously filed a case against high-profile people, including former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his nephew, former minister Harish Rao.

The police are still investigating the motive behind Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy’s murder. However, Superintendent of Police Bhupalpally, Kiran Khare, told The Indian Express that two suspects have been identified. “Prima facie, the murder is linked to a property dispute the deceased had with the accused,” he stated.

The SP added, “We are looking at all possible angles.” Meanwhile, the victim’s family has alleged that the murder was politically motivated. “A few members of his family have raised suspicion over the motive. We are looking into the allegations,” he said.

The Bhupalpally police have filed an FIR against five individuals in connection with the murder case. The FIR has been filed against Sanjeev Renkuntla, Srimanth Pingili, Kumar More, Kumar Kothuri, and Komuraiah Renukuntla as accused.

The charges against them have been registered under sections 191(2), 191(3), 61(2), 126(2), and 103(2), in conjunction with section 190 of the BNS.

In October 2023, Rajalingamurthy filed a case related to the collapse of a barrage in the Kaleswaram lift irrigation project. The incident involved the failure of several piers of the Medigadda Barrage, raising concerns about structural defects in what was considered a state-of-the-art project under the Telangana government led by KCR, who served as Chief Minister from 2014 to 2023.

That same month, Rajalingamurthy accused KCR, Harish Rao, and other senior officials of misappropriating crores. When the Bhupalpally police refused to register his complaint against them, he took the matter to a local court.

The Bhupalpally district court had sent notices to KCR and other accused in the case. In December 2024, KCR and Harish Rao approached the High Court to have the case dismissed, but their petition was rejected.

As per the Bhupalpally police, the murder occurred on Wednesday evening, just a day before the Telangana High Court was set to hear the case concerning the barrage collapse.

Rajalingamurthy was riding his bike when he was ambushed by attackers near the Telangana Coal Mine Workers’ Association office in Bhupalpally town. The assailants, who had been waiting for him, blocked his vehicle and allegedly stabbed him numerous times. He was rushed to a nearby district hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.