Date:04/04/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/04/stories/2004040411430500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Cops crack murder mystery, one held

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, APRIL 3. With the arrest of one person, the Banjara Hills police claimed to have solved the mystery behind the murder of a 23-year-old man under the Choutuppal police limits on February 17.

The accused were identified as - P Balakrishna, a native of Krishna district and resident of Filmnagar, and his associates, M Mouly and J. Rudraiah. The victim, S. Venkatanarayana, an autorickshaw driver was a resident of Maganti Colony in Film Nagar.

Disclosing the details at a press conference here today, the West Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police, N. Sanjay, said that on February 17, the accused hired the victim's autorickshaw on the pretext that they had to fetch a welding machine from Ramoji Film City. They, however, took him to Dharmojiguda village in Choutuppal where they strangulated him with a belt and subsequently smashed his face with a boulder killing him instantly. After dumping the body in the bushes, they fled with the victim's vehicle (AP 28 V 5133) and his Reliance mobile phone.