Balodabazar (Chhattisgarh): The Balodabazar police have arrested a serial killer responsible for the brutal murders of two elderly women in Bhalukona village under the Lavan police station area. The accused, who is dumb, was apprehended after a four-year-long investigation that culminated in the assistance of a sign language expert.
The accused carried out the first murder in 2020 and committed second murder in 2023. Both murders occurred in the same village, triggering suspicions of a serial killer at large. According to police, the suspect, identified as Tejaram alias Konda, confessed to the killings after a psychological interrogation conducted with the help of a sign language expert.
The first crime came to light on May 29, 2020, when a local resident, Ramayan Patel, reported to the Lavan police station that the body of his niece, Anupam Bai, was found near the banks of the Mahanadi River. Police found her body covered in blood, with a serious head injury. A blood-stained piece of dry wood was discovered nearby, leading investigators to suspect that Anupam Bai had been murdered.
Despite a search for the killer, the police were unable to make an arrest at the time. On March 13, 2023, three years after the first murder, one Kishan Yadav filed a report with the Lavan police station after discovering the body of Gauri Bai Yadav near a temple adjacent to Pankhatti pond in the same village. Officials found her body, like that of Anupam Bai, covered in blood with severe injuries to the head and face. Dragging marks were visible near the crime scene, along with a blood-stained piece of wood.
The police noticed similarities between the two murders. Both victims were elderly women, and both were killed in Bhalukona village. This pattern prompted officials to focus their search within the village. Their investigation eventually led to the suspect, Tejaram.
Police took Tejaram into custody and conducted a thorough psychological interrogation with the help of sign language experts. During questioning, the accused confessed to his crime and revealed the location of the murder weapon, which was subsequently recovered. On September 6, 2024, the police presented the accused in court, which sent him to jail.
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