Two accused, including Kola Venkata Hemanth Kumar – a rowdy sheeter from Vizag who was previously arrested for the kidnapping of MP MVV Satyanarayana’s family – and N Radhika Devi, were found guilty in a case of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 12,000.
The case was initiated based on a complaint lodged by Vijaya Reddy, a former councilor from Gajuwaka. Vijaya Reddy and his wife resided at Padma Bhaskara Prakash Residency in Akkayapalem. The accused, Hemanth Kumar and Radhika Devi, approached the couple under the guise of renting their flat. On 25 February 2019, Vijaya Reddy returned home to find it locked. After failing to reach his wife by phone, he contacted the accused, Hemanth Kumar, who claimed to have dropped her off at the Akkayapalem highway. When she failed to return home, Reddy grew suspicious and broke into his house, only to discover his wife dead in the bathroom, bleeding profusely. Her gold ornaments and car were missing.
The case was promptly reported to the Fourth Town Police Station. Circle Inspector (CI), Saketi Shankara Rao led the investigation, which revealed that the two accused had planned and executed the murder. Both were arrested, and the stolen cash, gold ornaments, and car were recovered. The charge sheet was filed based on collected call data, CCTV footage, and other technical evidence.
A Venkata Ratnam, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes), prioritized the case and supervised the trial. The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs. 12,000.
City Police Commissioner Dr A Ravi Shankar, IPS, commended the City Police Officers, particularly Naveen Kumar and Srinivasa Rao for their diligent work in the trial. The latter was also praised for his excellence in securing a conviction in the case. In line with the instructions of the Honorable Director General of Police (DGP), senior officials are to monitor each priority case until a conviction is reached in court. Each senior official is to oversee five cases, regularly liaising with station inspectors about the cases. The focus of Vizag City Police should be on rowdy sheeter and suspect sheeter individuals with multiple cases, with the aim of increasing the number of convictions each month compared to the previous month.
Read latest: Waltair Division Sets Record By Surpassing Rs. 10,000 Crore Revenue For The First Time
Stay tuned to Yo! Vizag website and Instagram for more crime updates.