Vijayawada: In what is perhaps the first car rage incident of its kind in Andhra Pradesh in recent years, two groups of youths, led by two childhood friends, engaged in a violent confrontation with their cars on a road in Vijayawada on Thursday night, causing panic among residents and motorists.
According to the Patamata police, Lingamaneni Rohit (19) and Bolla Om (21), who led the fight over a woman, are suspected to have been under the influence of ganja at the time of the incident. The duo are not only childhood friends but also distant relatives, and are pursuing BBA at a private university in Vijayawada. Their parents are reportedly involved in the real estate business.
The dispute reportedly broke out over a young woman from Hyderabad, whom both had known for some time. Patamata police inspector Pawan Kumar said the quarrel started after Om allegedly made negative remarks about Rohit to the woman. The situation escalated when the woman conveyed those comments to Rohit, leading to disagreements between the two over the past few days, police said.
Rohit and Om initially challenged each other through WhatsApp messages on Thursday and agreed to meet at Hi-Tension (HT) line road at night. There, an argument reportedly escalated into a confrontation. “In a fit of rage, Rohit and Om rammed their cars, leading to one of Rohit’s car tyres getting punctured. He abandoned his vehicle and fled. After he left, Om, along with his friends, took out hockey sticks and iron rods, and smashed Rohit’s car window panes,” the inspector said.
Inspector Pawan Kumar added that on being alerted by locals, police teams rushed to the spot and took Om into custody. Rohit has also been taken into custody, and a further probe is underway.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the two were under the influence of ganja during the altercation. Police conducted drug detection tests on them, with Om testing positive in the initial screening and Rohit testing negative. However, officials said further tests will be conducted for confirmation. Additionally, police have reportedly seized a steroid injection and an e-cigarette from Rohit’s car.
The incident has once again sent shockwaves among residents, as the city has been largely free of gang wars since the Patamata gang war of May 2020.
About the Author: Sri Krishna Kummara, a Senior Digital Content Creator at The Times of India-Vijayawada, covers developments related to VMC, Medical & Health, Transport, Metro, APSRTC, Railway and Airport stories. He holds a graduate degree in BA with Journalism, Psychology and Literature as core subjects.
