Hyderabad: A 65-year-old woman was murdered by her tenant in Nacharam, Hyderabad, for gold, and her body was later dumped in the Godavari River, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, Sureddy Sujatha, lived alone in the Babanagar area of Mallapur under Nacharam Police Station limits. According to Circle Inspector Dhanunjay, Sujatha had been staying alone following the death of her husband and sons.
The accused, M. Anjibabu, a native of Kothapalli village in Peravali mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district in Andhra Pradesh, had been staying as a tenant at Sujatha’s house for two months. On the night of December 19, he murdered her and stole 11 tolas of gold from her residence. He locked the house and left the body inside.
Anjibabu then informed two of his friends Yuvaraju (18), from Kandavalli in Peravali mandal, and Durgarao (35), from Vemavaram in Amalapuram mandal. On December 20, the three men rented a car, returned to Mallapur, and transported Sujatha’s body to Konaseema district, where they threw it into the Godavari River at Krishnalanka.
Sujatha’s sister, Suvarnalatha, who lives in Moinabad, visited the house on December 24 and found her missing. She filed a complaint with the police.
Police grew suspicious when Anjibabu was also found missing. He was later apprehended and confessed to the murder during interrogation. Based on his statement, a police team took him to the Godavari River near Mamidikuduru, between Appanapalli and K. Enugupalli, where Sujatha’s body was recovered on Tuesday.