Two people were arrested on Monday by the Mumbai Crime Branch in connection with the murder of a Right to Information activist in Telangana earlier this year. The accused had hired a contract killer to eliminate the activist after his complaints against their spurious toddy business caused them huge losses.
Podeti Satyanarana Goud (51) was shot dead outside a toddy centre in Jagatil district of Telangana on May 9. The police arrested a shooter from West Bengal. His interrogation revealed that Goud had filed RTI applications about the number of authorised toddy centres in Telangana and Mumbai, and filed complaints with the Excise department, alleging they were selling toddy of spurious quality.
“A team of the Telangana police had, after the shooter’s arrest, visited Mumbai in May, and tried to apprehend the shooter’s paymasters. However, the accused were constantly changing their locations and could not be apprehended. We had, since then, been on the lookout for them,” an officer with the Unit I of the Crime Branch said.
Last week, the Crime Branch received a tip-off about two of the toddy dealers allegedly involved in Goud’s murder. On Monday, Rajeshwar Elimati (46) in Bandra and Rajayya Kasarappu (51) in Jogeshwari were picked up. “The duo hail from Telangana and own toddy centres in their home town, neighbouring districts, and Mumbai. Following Goud’s complaint, the Excise department cracked down on all the toddy centres named by him, of which around 150 were in Mumbai. Almost all of them were shut down, causing huge losses to the accused. They had been pressuring Goud to stop filing complaints, but he refused,” the officer said.
Taken to Dharmapuri
The duo, along with some other toddy dealers, hired the killer and then had one last meeting with Goud, one day before his murder. They once again tried to convince Goud, who stayed adamant, and the next day, he was shot dead. A team from Dharmapuri police station in Telangana on Monday reached the city and obtained transit remand of the accused, after which they were taken to Dharmapuri, Crime Branch officers said.
