Secunderabad: Caretaker murders 70-year-old at her home

Hyderabad: A caretaker reportedly killed a 70-year-old woman at her house in Trimulgherry in Secunderabad early on Sunday. The suspect is absconding and police teams have fanned out to nab him. 

Police said the victim, G. Sulochana, 70, stayed in the house along with her husband Kanta Rao, a retired employee of the agriculture university. Their son Phani Krishna lives at Shaikpet in the western side of the city.  

The family told the police that earlier this month they had hired one Arun through a placement agency to take care of Mr Kanta Rao who is a neurotic patient. 

The family was not satisfied with the caretaker’s work and was trying to find a replacement.

On Saturday night, Mr Kanta Rao took his medicines and went to sleep at about 8 pm. 

The next morning, he woke when domestic help came to do household chores. To his shock, he found his wife lying dead in a pool of blood on the bed. 

“Mr Kanta Rao is unable to say what happened between the time he went to sleep and when he woke up. We suspect that the caretaker might have murdered Sulochana,” said Trimulgherry inspector Rajeshwar Rao.  

Mr Kanta Rao and the domestic help informed Phani Krishna, who rushed to the house and alerted the police. “Phani Kumar checked the house and found jewellery and cash missing. He also called up Arun to find out his whereabouts. Arun replied that he was coming but later switched off his mobile,” the inspector said.

Police suspects that the killer had overpowered the woman and smothered her to death using a pillow. He also slit her neck. 

“The woman was killed brutally by the assailant whose main intention was to take away the jewellery and cash. We suspect that the assailant demanded the keys of the lockers from her and when she refused he killed her,” a police official said.

According to the family, four tolas of gold, a mangalsutra, anklets, earrings, a gold coin, two cell phones and a cash of Rs 20,000 was missing.

“After 10 days, my parents were supposed to shift to my sister’s place at Kukatpally. There have been instances when Arun had been careless with work and was scolded by my mother,” Mr Phani Krishna said. 

The Trimulgherry police has registered a case under IPC Sections 302 and 380 which relates to murder for gain.

Inspector Rajeshwar Rao said, “We have deployed five teams to trace Arun. We will also examine CCTV footage of the area and call records to find him.”