Amaravati: Police in Andhra Pradesh have busted a sensational racket attempting to settle a deal with the accused in a murder that took place in July this year with one broker even killing his competing broker in the process. Police have launched an investigation into the matter. So far, two police officers have been dismissed for dereliction of duties.
The incident dates back to July 26 this year when Gadikoyya Srinivasa Reddy (38), a software employee, was murdered allegedly by his childhood friend Srikanth Reddy in Allavaripalem village, a suburb of Chagantipadu in Thotlavallur Mandal of Krishna District. Srikanth allegedly had an extramarital affair with Mithuna from the same village.
When Srinivasa got to know about the relationship, he advised Srikanth against it. Sources say that it could have been a case of a love triangle though the same has not been confirmed. As per the police, Srikanth asked Mithuna to call Srinivasa and invite him home on the night of July 25. Srinivasa did accept the invitation, hardly knowing what awaited him. Srikanth also reached the place in the early hours of July 26 and murdered Srinivasa, police said.
Srikanth and Mithuna were arrested by the police in the case and sent to remand. The case, however, took another ugly twist when one Narendra Reddy of nearby Bhadrirajupalem village contacted the accused Srikanth's father with a deal. He told the family that he would talk to the police and "settle" the case at Rs 1.5 crores.
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The investigating officer, according to Narendra, would begin the "settlement" if the family gave him Rs 22 lakh as the first tranche of the mentioned amount. In the meantime, another person Puchakkayala Srinivasa Reddy of the same village jumped into the scene as he came to know about the matter and tried to hijack the deal.
He approached the accused's family with a different "settlement" offer of Rs 20 lakh only. Sensing that his 1.25 crore deal would fail, Narendra conspired to kill Puchakkayala. A police official said that on the night of September 20, Narendra took the car of a YSRCP leader and lured Puccakayala to come with him to discuss the two deals.
However, Narendra strangled Puccakayala with a dog chain and killed him. He buried his body in a pit at Balliparru, a suburb of Athukuru near Gannavaram. The entire matter came to the fore when Athukuru police arrested and interrogated Narendra who spilt the beans about the deal around the previous murder.
The entire case was brought to the notice of Krishna SP P. Joshua. As per sources, following the SP's intervention, two police officers have been dismissed for dereliction of duties in the murder case. Additional SP has been entrusted with the responsibility of ascertaining the facts in this case.
