Life imprisonment for convict in Hyderabad NRI murder case

Hyderabad, March 9:  A city court on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment K. Rakesh Reddy in the case of the sensational murder of Non-Resident Indian Chigurupati Jayaram more than four years ago.

The First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge, who had held Rakesh Reddy guilty two days ago, pronounced the quantum of punishment on Thursday.

Eleven others, including three police officers, were acquitted.

Jayaram, a pharma scientist and NRI businessman, was found dead in his car off the national highway near Nandigama of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh on January 31, 2019.

Initially, it appeared to be a case of a road accident but police investigations revealed that he was murdered and the accused tried to make it appear like a road accident.

Subsequent probe revealed that the victim was honey-trapped by the killers by sending him text messages to his mobile phone making him believe that a woman was sending them.

When Jayaram reached a house in Hyderabad's Banjara Hills to meet the woman, he was kidnapped. Police found that Rakesh Reddy, who had given loans to the NRI, confined him to the house for 24 hours and tortured him to force him repay the loans. The NRI businessman paid Rs 6 lakh while he was being held captive, and was also made to sign some blank papers.

The accused eventually smothered him to death. He, later along with other accused, took the body to Nandigama in a car. There were allegations that the policemen helped in transporting the body.

Initially, the case was registered by Nandigama police which arrested Rakesh Reddy and another accused Nevnath Rajesh. The case was later transferred to Jubilee Hills police station.

The police had later arrested more accused. It had filed a charge sheet against 12 accused including Assistant Commissioner of Police Malla Reddy and two circle inspectors.

Rakesh Reddy had been lodged in jail for last four years.

The court acquitted all other accused due to lack of evidence.