Visakhapatnam Murder: Cricket umpire stabbed to death by spectator over run

A 21-year-old cricket umpire was allegedly stabbed to death following a dispute over a run-out decision during a local match in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, in an incident that has shocked the city, NDTV reported, citing police.

The victim, Dola Ajith Babu, was officiating a Sunday evening match at a local ground where three teams were participating, alongside his fellow umpire Budumuri Chiranjeevi. According to the report, an argument broke out between players from two localities over a run-out call, which the two umpires managed to resolve on the field.

However, the situation took a violent turn when a spectator, Kanta Kishore, 26, grew agitated and began abusing the umpires and players, the report said, quoting Circle Inspector Malleswara Rao. After the match ended, Kishore allegedly summoned the umpires to a nearby spot to "settle the matter," and Ajith Babu, Chiranjeevi and a few friends went there as requested, NDTV reported.

"As soon as they reached the spot, another argument broke out. Kishore suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked the two umpires," the report quoted Rao as saying. Ajith Babu sustained a stab wound to the chest and collapsed at the spot, according to the report. Chiranjeevi suffered bleeding injuries while attempting to flee, and another bystander who tried to intervene was also hurt, the report noted.

The injured were initially rushed to a local hospital. Ajith Babu was subsequently transferred to Apollo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead during treatment, the report added.

The victim's brother was cited by NDTV as alleging that the attack was a premeditated act by someone who was not even a player in the match. He said Kishore, a resident of Vinayak Nagar in a neighbouring colony, had inserted himself into the dispute, used abusive language and later returned in an inebriated state to carry out the killing. The report noted that village elders had already resolved the disagreement over a single run earlier in the day.

The brother further recounted the final sequence of events as quoted by NDTV: "He started shouting and arguing. Suddenly, he took the knife out of his pocket and stabbed Dola Ajith in the chest. We tried to catch Kishore, but he ran away. We took Ajith Babu to VIMS Hospital, but no doctors were available, so we shifted him to Apollo. Around 8.15 pm, doctors declared him dead."

Based on a complaint filed by the victim's father, Dola Appala Raju, police have registered a murder case against Kishore under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to the report. A search has been launched to trace and apprehend the accused, who remains at large.

Click here to read article