Sambi Reddy died while buying vegetables, not onions, says kin

Sambi Reddy, the 65-year-old man, who passed away after suffering a heart attack at Rythu Bazaar in Gudivada town, was standing in the queue while purchasing vegetables and not for onions, his family said.

The kin told reporters that some vested interests including a section of media are trying to eke out "political mileage out of our personal grief".

"The vested interests have tried their best to distort the facts and create a story that the person died while he was standing in a queue for buying onions at subsidised rates at Gudivada Rythu Bazaar, in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, which is not a reality," they said.

The family members recalled that Reddy had suffered a cardiac stroke 10 years back and was running a small business. They also said that the deceased owned 15 acres of land and his two sons are software engineers.

"There is no need for us to buy onions standing in the queue and it has been a routine for Sambi Reddy to go to the temple in the morning and then visit the Rythu Bazaar to see and buy fresh vegetables as and when available," they added.

"The other day, he followed the routine and had a cardiac stroke and was rushed to the hospital. It has nothing to do with the onion shortage and long queues," the kin said.

The family members asserted that vested interests are trying to politicise their personal grief which is not true.

"A section of media had approached us and coaxed us to give a statement that he died while standing in queue for buying onions and they would get exgratia from the government. But we refused and told the police not to politicise the issue and give us some private space. We were surprised to see reports that he died while standing in queue for buying subsided onions," they further said.

The Andhra Pradesh government is supplying onions at a subsidised rate of Rs 25 per kilogram through Rythu Bazaar outlets.