State BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar has demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the High Court into the daylight murder of advocates G. Vaman Rao and his wife Nagamani when the couple were returning from Manthani court in Karimnagar after arguing a lock up death case on Wednesday.

“We strongly condemn the attack. We are unable to digest the murderous attack on a conscientious lawyer couple, who have been taking up the causes dear to the poor and downtrodden. We have every reason to suspect the hand of the ruling party people in this heinous crime. We want Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to respond,” he said, at a press conference at the city office.

The BJP legal cell too will join the fight for justice to the slain couple with the other lawyers associations so that the perpetrators of the crime are punished. The BJP leader said the ruling party regime believes in “murder politics” and wants to “finish off anyone questioning their policies.”

If the lawyers themselves are not safe in the State, what is the fate of the common man, he wondered and charged that a “section of police officers” too have been “conniving with the ruling party” in such violence attacks on critics rather than safeguard people, he observed.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar said the slain advocate couple had earlier approached the High Court seeking protection as they feared threat to their lives, however, but neither the government nor the police responded. The advocate associations should take up the issue and see that justice is rendered and the BJP will stand by them, he added.

Member of Legislative Council and senior leader N. Ramchander Rao too condemned the murder of the advocate couple and said this is an attack against the entire lawyer community.

“The couple were known for their public interest litigation cases and highlighting the government failures. We demand the police to quickly investigate the crime and arrest the culprits responsible,” Mr. Rachander Rao said.