A local cricket match in Visakhapatnam took a tragic turn when a minor on-field disagreement ended in violence. A 21 years old umpire, Dola Ajith Babu, lost his life after being att@cked following a dispute over a run-out decision.
The incident happened on Sunday evening when Ajith Babu was officiating a match along with his friend Budumuri Chiranjeevi. During the game, players from two localities got into a heated argument over a close run-out call. The umpires stepped in quickly and managed to calm things down at that moment, allowing the match to continue.
However, the tension did not completely go away. A spectator, identified as 26 years old Kanta Kishore, who was not directly involved in the game, allegedly began verbally abusing both players and umpires. Even though the match ended, the situation remained tense.
Later, Kanta Kishore reportedly called the umpires to a nearby place, saying that he wanted to settle the matter. Ajith Babu, Chiranjeevi and a few others went to meet him, hoping to resolve the issue. But things soon took a dangerous turn. According to police, another argument broke out and Kanta Kishore allegedly att@cked them with a knife.
Ajith Babu suffered a serious stab wound to his chest and collapsed immediately. Chiranjeevi was injured while trying to escape and another person who tried to intervene was also hurt. All the injured were first taken to a nearby hospital. Ajith Babu was later shifted to Apollo Hospital, where doctors declared him d*ad during treatment.
Reports quoting the victim’s brother said that the dispute over a single run had already been settled earlier in the day by village elders. However, the accused allegedly returned later under the influence of alcohol and carried out the att@ck deliberately.
Following a complaint by Ajith Babu’s father, Dola Appala Raju, police have registered a m*rder case against Kanta Kishore under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A search operation is currently underway, as the accused is absconding.
