Date:09/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/09/stories/2007010904440600.htm

Andhra Pradesh

`Cyberabad serial killings were for gain'

Staff Reporter

"Arrested migrant labourers were pathetic liquor addicts"

HYDERABAD: The Cyberabad police, who arrested three persons in connection with the alleged serial murders on city outskirts, have maintained that `murder for gain' was the motive for the gruesome killings.

The angle of `unnatural sex' being the motive had not come up in the investigation so far. However, the possibility of the murder suspects being `psychopaths' would be ascertained through psychiatric tests soon, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police S. Prabhakar Reddy told reporters here on Monday.

Mr. Reddy said the arrested migrant labourers were pathetic addicts to liquor. "They committed these murders for paltry amounts, just to quench their thirst for liquor," he said. However, gains from these murders ranged from Rs. 3 to Rs.600. He maintained that of the nine victims, seven were young and hence could be tempted for a drink easily.

The Shamshabad police were working on the double murder of Mohd. Dastagir and Md. Mohammed, who were last seen with Pavan at a Mailardevpally wine shop on January 2.

Pavan confessed to the police that he and Ramulu had killed Dastagir and Mohammed by luring them to engage sex workers in the isolated hills of Kattedan.

While Dastagir was first taken aside by Ramulu and killed, Mohammed was tempted to peep into Dastagir's activities and then killed. This earned them Rs.400 and two mobile phones.

Three days before, they killed two persons, who are yet to be identified, to pocket Rs.30 and Rs.70.