The Vidyaranyapura police on Saturday arrested a 31-year-old private firm employee and his associate for allegedly murdering a 68-year-old home-alone retired teacher to rob her gold valuables last Thursday.
The accused T. Nagendra was working in a private company and staying in a rented house opposite to the house of the victim, while his associate K. Ramaraju, a native of Annammaiah district in A.P., was unemployed.
According to the police, Nagendra noticed that the victim S. Prasanna Kumari, 68, a retired teacher, was living alone in a rented house at Ambabhavani Layout in Vidyaranyapura. She used to wear gold jewels whenever she would go out to visit her relatives and friends.
Nagendra, who was in need of money, hatched a plan to eliminate Prasanna Kumari to rob her valuables and roped in his associate Ramaraju.
As per the plan, he called Ramaraju to his house and the duo kept a watch for a few days before they gained entry into the house. The duo overpowered her and gagged her with a piece of cloth before tying her up. They removed her valuables and ransacked the house before strangulating her to death and fleeing with 68 grams of gold valuables.
The murder came to light when the owner of the house alerted the police. The police analysed CCTV footage and with the help of technical details, they zeroed in on Nagendra.
Based on their confession, the police recovered two pairs of bangles and a gold chain, which they had pawned at a gold loan company in Annammaiah district for ₹1.9 lakh.
The police recovered the valuables, a bike and two mobile phones the accused had used to commit the crime.
