Five people, including Koganti Satyanarayana alias Satyam, a prime suspect in the murder of businessman Rama Prasad Telapolu, were arrested by Hyderabad police here on Monday.
Announcing their arrest at a press conference here, Joint Commissioner of Police (West Zone) A.R. Srinivas said the accused were closely monitoring the victim’s movements for over a month, before he was hacked to death on July 6.
The assailants also rented a house in Durganagar of Punjagutta, where Prasad’s corporate office is located.
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Monitored movements
“It was a pre-planned attack and they knew each and every movement of the victim. Since it was a Saturday, Prasad went to Venkateswara Swamy temple. Minutes after leaving the temple to get his car, three people attacked him with sickles and sped away when onlookers rushed to the spot,” explained Mr. Srinivas.
Eleven people were involved in the offence, and a search is on to nab the other six, he added.
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He said Prasad owed ₹ 70 crore to Satyam after they snapped ties in the steel business.
A few years ago, the victim and Satyam discussed the issues in the presence of elders and the former agreed to pay ₹ 23 crore, of it ₹ 12 crore was supposed to be paid by Prasad’s brother-in-law Vura Srinivas Rao.
“As he was not repaying the money even after repeated insistence, Satyam assumed that if he eliminates Prasad, Srinivasa Rao would pay his share of ₹ 12 crore out of fear,” the JCP said.
Satyam, along with T. Shyamsunder, a water purification plant owner, took the help of P. Balanaga Anjaneya Prasad (35), who approached the former for settlement of a civil dispute.
According to their plan, Anjaneya Prasad, along with his associates Mande Pritam (22) and Pulivarthi Ramu (27) attacked Prasad with sickles prepared at Shyam’s water plant in Vijayawada.
“While the trio attacked Prasad, Shyam was watching from a distance and Satyam was keeping track of it from his house in Madhapur, a day after he returned from Tirupati,” police said.
21 cases against Satyam
They concealed the lethal weapons in a cricket kit bag with leg pads in it and kept them in an SUV, which was used by the accused for commuting.
The police seized three sickles, an SUV, a bike and mobile phones from their possession.
Mr. Srinivas said Satyam is involved in 21 cases registered at various police stations in Andhra Pradesh.
When asked if the police are anticipating any further threat to the victim's family and provide security, he said they would discuss it with the family members and decide.