Hyderabad: A minor yet crucial digital transaction played a decisive role in solving the attack on a temple receptionist in Saidabad, Hyderabad. The police cracked the case after a cap seller at Gandhi Bhavan Metro Station identified the accused, having sold him a cap and received payment via UPI. This seemingly insignificant detail led investigators to two individuals, including a temple priest, who were behind the crime.
The incident occurred on the evening of March 14, when Chintala Narsing Rao, 60, who worked as a receptionist and accountant at Shri Bhulakshmi Maata Temple, was assaulted by a man posing as a donor. The attacker, later identified as Raikod Hariputhra, 31, poured a chemical substance on Rao’s head and fled, shouting ‘Happy Holi!’. Rao sustained severe burns on his scalp, face, and neck.
Police launched a meticulous investigation, examining nearly 400 CCTV footage clips to track the suspect’s movements across the city. The real breakthrough, however, came when officers traced a digital payment made via UPI. The vendor, who had sold Hariputhra a cap, provided his phone number, helping the police pinpoint his location.
Using call detail records (CDR) and technical surveillance, investigators tracked Hariputhra to his residence in Shaikpet. During interrogation, he confessed that the attack was orchestrated by Aripirala Raja Shekhar Sharma, 41, a priest from the same temple. Allegedly, Sharma had personal disputes with Rao and offered ₹2,000 to Hariputhra, transferring ₹1,000 in advance via UPI.
Sharma was arrested at the temple, and both individuals are now in police custody. Authorities emphasised the importance of digital footprints in modern investigations, with a simple UPI transaction proving instrumental in solving the case and delivering justice.
