Police on Sunday cracked the rape and murder case of a degree student and arrested four persons.
The girl’s body was found in the forest at Boudha Ramalu (Guntupalli caves, West Godavari) on February 24.
The arrested were: Potluri Ankamma Rao alias Raju of Chandrala village in Krishna district, Tupakula Somaiah and Tupakula Gangaiah of G. Kothapalli village in West Godavari district and Manikala Nagaraju of Krishnaram village in Krishna district.
Her boyfriend, Naveen Kumar, who too was attacked by the gang, was undergoing treatment in a hospital, said West Godavari district Superintendent of Police M. Ravi Prakash.
The SP told the media that the girl was pursuing degree first year while Naveen Kumar was a second year student. They belonged to Bhimadole mandal in the district.
The two went to the spot on Feb. 24. The gang, which followed them, attacked Naveen Kumar with a stick. When he collapsed, Raju raped her and later attacked her with a knife killing her on the spot. The gang members damaged their mobiles phones and took away the gold ornaments and cash from them. Later, they enjoyed a party in the forest, the SP said.
32 offences
Mr. Ravi Prakash said the gang attacked about 30 couples in Khammam district in Telangana, West Godavari and Krishna districts in A.P. They raped the women in all cases, and relieved them of gold and cash.
The gang confessed to have killed two women in Khammam district and one each in West Godavari and Krishna districts.
Jangareddygudem DSP Ch. Murali Krishna, who investigated the case, said the police seized the stick and knife used in the offence. In all the cases, the accused murdered the victims brutally, he said.
Modus operandi
“The modus operandi of Raju and his accomplices is to observe couples who visit isolated places, attack the male person and rape the woman,” Mr. Murali Krishna said.
Chintalapudi circle inspector U.J. Wilson, who visited the scene of offence, said that police seized one country-made pistol, two knives and a bicycle from the accused.
Cases had been registered against the accused under Sections 302 and 307 IPC, the SP added.
