Hyderabad: An 18-year-old youth was arrested for the brutal murder of a cab driver in Chandrayangutta, allegedly over prolonged harassment and extortion linked to the illegal ganja trade.
The body of Mohammed Abdul Aziz alias Ather (24) was found behind a Zepto store on Balapur 100 Feet Road. Police identified the accused as Mohammad Yousuf alias Gullu, a resident of Hafeez Baba Nagar.
According to police, both the victim and accused were childhood acquaintances from the same locality. Aziz had introduced Yousuf to ganja peddling, offering small sums of money. Over time, Aziz allegedly began physically assaulting and verbally abusing Yousuf, besides extorting money and threatening to frame him in a narcotics case.
Unable to tolerate the alleged harassment, Yousuf planned the killing. He procured a knife with the help of a friend days before the incident. On July 11, he lured Aziz to a secluded spot behind the Zepto store under the pretext of handing over hidden gold. There, he first struck him with a stone and then stabbed him multiple times, killing him on the spot.
After the murder, Yousuf returned home, concealed the weapon and blood-stained clothes, bathed, and then left for his father’s house in Mallapur to avoid suspicion.
Police arrested the accused following a swift investigation led by Inspector R. Gopi under the supervision of ACP A. Sudhakar and Addl DCP K. Sreekanth. Commissioner S. Chaitanya Kumar, IPS, praised the efforts and announced a reward for the investigation team.