Police busts Nellore double murder case, says handiwork of canteen worker

Nellore, Sep 1: Vedayapalem police cracked the double murder case of a couple in Nellore city and arrested two accused. The main accused is a worker in their tiffin centre who developed grudge against the deceased duo.

District Superintendent of Police Ch Vijaya Rao disclosed the case details at Umesh Chandra Conference Hall in Nellore city on Wednesday and informed the accused were identified as Mannuru Siva Kumar, 26, of Ramakotaiah Nagar of Nellore city. He is originally from Utukuru village in Sydapuram mandal of Nellore district. Another accused is Kalagandala Ramakrishna, 22, from Chandrababu Nagar of Naidupeta town of Tirupati district.

The couple deceased were identified as Vasireddy Krishna Rao, 54, and Suneetha, 50, were found brutally killed in their house located in Ashok Nagar of Padupalli in Nellore city limits on August 27th night. Based on the complaint lodged by Vasireddy Gopichand, son of the couple, Vedayapalem police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Police deployed special under the supervision of Additional S P (Crimes) K Chowdeswari, in-charge DSP S Abdul Subhani led by Circle Inspector K Narasimha Rao swung into action. Police got breakthrough in the case through CCTV footage available around the house of victims to ascertain the identity of suspects. Police interrogated staff of Srirama canteen which was run by victim Krishna Rao for getting any clues.

Main accused Siva Kumar failed to attend the police interrogation. Observing on his suspicious movements, police kept a vigil on him and caught him at his room in Ramakotaiah Nagar in Nellore city on Wednesday and interrogated him.

During the investigation, Siva Kumar disclosed that he has been working in the tiffin centre run by V Krishna Rao for more than ten years. He developed animosity against the couple and plotted to kill them along with his relative Ramakrishna plotted for stealing of huge cash too. Siva Kumar has also prepared duplicate keys of the house and tried to steal cash but in vain.

The duo conducted the recce for several times for stealing cash from the house. On August 27, Siva Kumar and Ramakrishna entered the house at around 11.30pm-12am. Ramakrishna attacked Krishna Rao Rao with a stick and slit his throat with a pen knife after he returned from the tiffin centre. Then, they looted Rs.10,000 cash from his pocket and also keys of the house. Then, the duo entered the house and Ramakrishna also killed Suneetha with a knife while she was sleeping in a room.

Then, the duo had broken a locker in the house and found no cash in it. Further, the two accused have found Rs.1.60 lakh cash in another locker and fled away from the house with money and they shared the looted cash. While Ramakrishna went Naidupeta town and purchased few electronic goods for his home and also handed over Rs.43,000 cash to his wife claiming that he has borrowed it.

When police tried to shift Siva Kumar for interrogation, he tried to escape observing the police.

Circle Inspector K Narasimha Rao and his team apprehended him on Wednesday. Further, police also arrested Ramakrishna on the same day and booked the case under Section 457(housebreaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 380 (whoever commits theft in any building) and 302 (whoever commits murder) of IPC.

Police seized Rs.83,000 cash and three mobile phones from them. SP said main accused Siva Kumar has been silently observing activities of police and also he attended the last rites of the couple along with other workers in Krishna district.

S P appreciated the efforts of investigation teams for cracking the case with concrete evidence and arresting the accused within three days.