Date:22/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/22/stories/2008072250550300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Police solve mystery behind death of man

Correspondent

Chittoor: The police unravelled the mystery behind the murder of B. Ravindranath, retired assistant engineer of APTransco on May 15, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Razak.

Addressing press conference here on Monday, he said that Two Town sub-inspector Ram Siva Reddy arrested the accused Abdul Rafe (34) and Shankar Reddy, alleged to have been involved in the case, at Tirupati-Bangalore by-pass road on Monday.

Illicit relationship

The police succeeded in tracing out the culprits on the basis of the missing cell and SIM card of Nalani, the victim’s wife. According to police, Abdul Rafe developed intimacy with Nalani, which was objected to by her husband. As such, Nalani and Rafe planned to get rid of him. They approached Shankar Reddy and all three hatched a plan to eliminate him. On the fateful day of May 15, Nalani went away on some work and the other two went to the house of the assistant engineer and requested him for some drinking water. When he went to the kitchen to get some water, they caught hold of him and slit his throat and he died on the spot. They erased the blood stains and kept the knife under a granite heap near Viranjaneyaswamy temple which was recovered by the police.

The accused were produced before the Magistrate here on Monday. The prime accused Nalani is at large.