It was straight out of a Tollywood faction film. As the white-clad elders walked towards a burial ground to perform some after-life rituals for a close relative, a sports utility vehicle screetchs to a hart right in front of them.. Eight men alight from the vehicle. They have sharp, flashing sickles and swords with them. In a ziffy, they attack the people walking towards the burial ground. The next moment, blood spews out. Two men slump down lifelessly and three others suffer critical injuries.

The Pesaravail village was witness to this gory attack on Thursday. After a brief lull the faction violence reared its ugly head in Rayalaseema region. Two TDP activists, considered quite close to TDP leader Gauru Venkat Reddy were brutally done to death in faction-ridden Kurnool district. The incident occurred in Pesaravai village of Gadivemula mandal in the district on Thursday. The deceased were identified as former Pesaravai village sarpanch Nageswara Reddy and his brother Pratap Reddy. Three more persons – Vaddu Venkateshwar Reddy, Vaddu Subba Reddy and Venkatesh Reddy too suffered critical injuries and were being treated in a hospital in Nandyal. The assailants then fled in their SUV from the scene of offence.

The whole village was left shocked. There is a sense of fear in Pesaravai. The police rushed additional forces to ensure that no untoward incident occurs in the village. TDP general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh has made a dash to Pesaravai village in Kurnool district to consoled the bereaved family members of party leaders.

Faction related violence has come down considerably in the Rayalaseema region of late. However, old rivalries, political disputes and battle for supremacy is said to be the chief reasons for the dastardly attack.