A man suspected to have murdered his close friend and five members of the latter’s family, including seven-year-old twins, at different places over a fortnight has been detained by Kamareddy police on Monday.
The prime suspect, identified as Prashanth, whose arrest was yet to be announced formally by the police, was being interrogated to ascertain precise details of how he committed the cold-blooded killings. Three friends of the accused, who are believed to have aided and abetted him in three murders, have also been picked up.
The prime suspect Prashanth and the victim’s family members used to live in Makloor village of Nizamabad district. The first murder was committed on November 28 and the last one on December 13, a police officer unwilling to be named said.
The body of an unidentified woman, later identified as Sravanthi, was found at a secluded place in Bhoompally of Sadashivanagar police station area in the second week of December. A mobile phone reportedly found near the crime scene turned out to be an important clue.
After analysing the Call Data Record of the mobile phone, the investigators stumbled upon the second important leads. Calls made from and received on Mr. Prashanth’s mobile phone number raised suspicions over his possible complicity.
On being picked up and after questioning, he said he was no way connected to the woman’s murder. But the location of his mobile phone near the crime scene and other leads only strengthened suspicions of the police about his possible connection to the murder.
Following sustained interrogation, Mr. Prashanth reportedly spilled the beans blowing the lid off the five more murders committed earlier.
Ms. Sravanthi’s elder brother Prasad was a close friend of Mr. Prashanth since they grew up in Makloor village. Investigators are verifying reports that Mr. Prasad, who went to Gulf countries for livelihood and returned home, developed extra-marital affair with an unmarried woman in the village.
“It is said the woman became pregnant and ended her life as Mr. Prasad did not marry her. On knowing this, the village elders reportedly socially boycotted Mr. Prasad and his family members,” the investigators on condition of anonymity said.
Mr. Prasad was arrested in that case and remanded in judicial custody. After coming out on bail, he and his family left the village lived in Armoor, Bheemgal and Palvancha of Nizamabad. Mr. Prasad, who had borrowed money from different persons, decided to sell off two small houses he had purchased in the village.
Since the village elders were against him, he decided to register the properties on the name of his friend Mr. Prashanth. “The idea was Mr. Prashanth either would later sell the houses or raise loans on the properties and give money to Mr. Prasad,” police sources said.
As per the investigation made so far, police surmise that Mr. Prashanth decided to eliminate Prasad and entire his family so that he would own up the two houses since they were registered on his name. First, he allegedly murdered Mr. Prasad at Dichpally after taking him to an isolated place.
Investigators are verifying reports that later Mr. Prashanth eliminated Prasad’s wife Ramani by throwing her into a river at Basara having taken her there on some pretext. The couple’s twins, son Chaitrik and daughter Chaitrika, were reportedly killed at Son river in Mindora. Mr. Prasad’s sister Swapna, a physically challenged person, was murdered at Chegunta of Medak.
The last person to be executed was Mr. Prasad’s second sister at Bhoompally. “All these inputs had come after grilling Mr. Prashanth and his aides. Concrete evidence corroborating their confessions is yet to be gathered,” said the sources in Police department.
Published – December 18, 2023 10:22 pm IST
