Brother among four arrested for murder of woman advocate

The Moinabad police on Thursday arrested four persons, including the victim’s brother, in connection with the brutal murder of a woman advocate, allegedly over a long-standing property dispute.

The arrested persons were identified as G Raju, the victim’s brother and his associates E Sandeep, V Veeresham and K Shivalingam. Police seized a car and scooter, along with mobile phones and the sickle used in the murder. Police said the murder was pre-planned by Raju and executed with the help of the three associates.

G Swapna, (34), a practising lawyer at the Chevella court, was allegedly killed during a dispute over four acres of land located in Survey No 339 at Kethireddypally village in Moinabad on Wednesday morning.

According to police, Swapna had gone to the farmland to oversee land survey work when the accused intercepted her. The assailants first rammed a car into her and then attacked her with stones and wooden sticks.

“They allegedly slit her throat with a sharp weapon, killing her on the spot. After committing the crime, the suspects fled in a car and a scooter,” said a senior police officer.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the murder was triggered by a family dispute over ancestral property. Swapna and Raju had been at odds for several years over the division of agricultural land.The Moinabad police are continuing the investigation to establish the complete sequence of events and any additional conspiracy involved.

Meanwhile, the killing triggered widespread outrage among advocates and they boycotted court proceedings at Chevella and nearby courts and staged protests at the Moinabad police station demanding stringent punishment for the accused and better security for women lawyers.