A small-time financier is stated to have decapitated his close friend suspecting that the latter was plotting to eliminate him, at Miyapur on Thursday night.
Cracked in 24 hours
Within 24 hours of the beheading of autorickshaw driver P Praveen (24), whose torso and head were dumped at different places in Miyapur, the police picked up his close friends Srikanth and Srinivas.
According to Miyapur Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) S. Ravi Kumar, the assailants, in an inebriated condition, took Praveen and his friend Rakesh to Dharmapuri kshetram area in an auto, where they attacked and killed Praveen.
Rakesh was scared and left the place before Praveen was beheaded.
The murder came to light only after Rakesh approached the police stating that Srikanth and Srinivas attacked Praveen and the latter did not return home.
Torso at garbage dump
A police team who went to Dharmapuri kshetram found the torso near a garbage dump. “His dismembered head was found near Bollaram crossroads, about three kilometres from where the torso was found,” Mr. Kumar said.
Praveen from Warangal district was staying in Hyderabad since 2009.
Explaining the reason behind the murder, the ACP said that Srikanth was accused in an attempt to murder case registered at Ameenpur police station.
Illicit affair?
“In 2017, he had attacked one Ilaiah for having an ‘illicit affair’ with a woman he was in love with. Recently, he noticed that both, Praveen and Ilaiah, were moving closely and suspected that they were conspiring to kill him,” the officer said.
Srikanth and his friend Srinivas met Praveen at Coca Cola Colony in Miyapur on Thursday night around midnight and took him to Dharmapuri kshetram, where they killed him. Before meeting Praveen, the accused Srikanth had a heated argument with a banana vendor, following which he vandalised the cart, Praveen’s friend Anvesh told The Hindu .
“Praveen was with us in the colony to celebrate our friend’s birthday. However, he left the place with Srikanth and others before cutting the cake,” Anvesh said while waiting at Gandhi Hospital morgue to receive Praveen’s body.
Based on the complaint lodged by Praveen’s mother, a case under Section 302 (punishment for murder) was registered against Srikanth and Srinivas.
