Second tomato farmer found murdered in Andhra Pradesh

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

tomato farmer has been killed in Andhra Pradesh's Annamaya district, marking the second such incident in the region within the past seven days. The victim, Battula Madhukar Reddy (28) from Pedda Tippa Samudra village, was stabbed to death by unidentified individuals while he was sleeping at his farm to protect his crop on Sunday night. The discovery of Reddy's body with stab wounds was made on Monday morning by locals passing by his farm.

They immediately alerted the police and informed his family members. Local authorities swiftly arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. The police are considering the possibility that an extramarital affair may have been the motive behind the murder.

DSP Kesappa, the local Deputy Superintendent of Police, assured that they are actively collecting clues and are determined to apprehend the culprits soon. «We are investigating the case from all angles. We are waiting for the post-mortem report,» he stated.

This tragic incident follows the murder of another tomato farmer, Narem Rajasekhar Reddy (62), on July 13 in Bodumalladinne village, under the Madanapalle mandal of the same district. «Police suspect Rajasekhar was murdered following a robbery attempt after he acquired a significant amount of money by selling tomatoes in the local market yard,» the Times of India had reported. The farmer had reportedly earned 30 lakh by selling his produce.

The repeated instances of violence against tomato farmers in Annamaya district have raised concerns among the farming community and local authorities. The police and relevant authorities must intensify their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety and security of farmers in the region. Tomato prices have