Former Payakraopeta MLA Chengala Venkata Rao was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tenth Additional District Sessions Judge B.B. Nageswara Rao at Anakapalle here on Wednesday.
A case of rioting and murder was booked against these persons in connection with a violent clash in which a fisherman died eight were grievously injured.
On October 18, 2007, groups of people from Bangarampalem village in Nakkapalli mandal clashed with one supporting the establishment of a beach sand mining unit and another opposing it.
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The scene turned riotous after Mr. Venkata Rao and his followers reached the village and a violent clash erupted. The Congress was in power then and Mr. Venkata Rao was a TDP MLA. He supported the group that stood against mining.
Some vehicles and property were also destroyed in the clash and a senior citizen of Bangarampalem village, Gosala Konda, died in the clash and over a dozen persons were injured.
According to Additional Public Prosecutor K.P. Naidu, the case was investigated by the then Inspector of Police of Payakraopeta P. Rajendra Kumar.
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Among the 24 others who were handed the sentence, K. Appalaraju, K. Demudu and Baburao had died during the course of the 10-year trial. Three are women.
Apart from the life term, six of them, including Venkata Rao, will have to undergo one year rigorous imprisonment.
Sources say that the former MLA is planning to challenge the verdict in the A.P. High Court.
The former MLA is known for his unpredictable behaviour. In 2015, he filed a case against Bahubali Director Rajamouli’s father Vijayendra Prasad at Yalamanchili Civil Court, alleging that a cheque issued by Mr. Vijayendra Prasad to him had bounced. But this was not proved in the court. In 2005, he attempted suicide by jumping into the Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad after Narasimhudu , a film produced by him, had flopped.
The former MLA was earlier with the TDP and later he moved to the YSR Congress.