Hyderabad, June 26: He was done to death on the night of June 11 and his headless body was discovered in the forests on the city outskirts two days later. Though the victim was no more, someone went on withdrawing cash using his ATM card. It was this clue that helped the Cyberabad police crack the mystery behind the brutal murder of 38-year-old Subba Raju, a contractor, whose headless body was found in Pet Basheerabad police limits on June 13.
However, the police are yet to trace the victim’s head which perhaps was dumped elsewhere. The Special team of Cyberabad police reportedly nabbed one person, identified just as Chanti, a friend of Subba Raju, who allegedly killed him for money.
According to sources who investigated the macabre murder, Subba Raju left his residence at Hayatnagar on the morning of June 11. He went to his office in Karkhana as usual. Chanti, also a contractor, worked with Subba Raju. Both were in the readymade door business.
Later in the day, Chanti invited Subba Raju for a drink at his brother’s house in Jeedimetla. However, his brother was not present at home then. After making him drink more than he normally would have consumed, Chanti, with the help of another person smothered Subba Raju to death using a pillow.
Then, the accused took the body to Dhulpally forests in the dead of the night, chopped off his head and even some fingers, threw the body in a pond and left.
The investigators believe that they might have thrown the head somewhere else, in an apparent bid to conceal the victim’s identity. This would ensure that the killers would not be traced.
Before dumping Subba Raju’s body, the accused took all the belongings of the victim including his ATM card. On June 13, some passers-by spotted the headless body and informed the police. Meanwhile on June 12, his family members lodged a missing complaint at Hayatnagar.
Later, based on some identification marks and clothes, the victim could be identified. As the sleuths took up investigation, they felt that the motive behind the brutal murder could be sexual jealousy.
However, when Subba Raju’s family members informed the police about the missing ATM card, enquiries were made at the bank. “The total bank balance was Rs 2.70 lakh and there was a withdrawal of Rs 70,000 on different dates. We were surprised that the withdrawal was going on even after the victim’s death,” sources said.
It was then that the sleuths realised that the motive was money and not sexual jealousy.
Investigators then began making enquiries about Subba Raju’s friends and others known to him in his profession. While this was on, the sleuths got information from bank authorities that the money was being withdrawn from a particular branch in Visakapatnam. Simultaneously, enquiries here revealed that his friend Chanti was not in town.
A special team left for Visakapatnam and they zeroed in on Chanti. It is learnt that his photograph was also captured in the CCTV inside the ATM, from where he is alleged to have been withdrawing money.
Sources said that the accused was aware of the fact that Subba Raju had deposited over Rs 2.50 lakh in his bank recently and hatched a plot along with his associate to get the money.
Subba Raju is separated from his wife and he was staying with his two children and other relatives.
–Agencies–