Vijayawada: NRI businessman found dead, murder suspected

Vijayawada: Florida-based NRI businessman and Coastal Bank director Chigurupati Jayaram, 65, was found dead in the back seat of his car in the farmlands near Aitavaram village of Krishna district on Friday morning.

Nandigama DSP A.S.C. Bose said Jayaram had set off from his Hyderabad home in a car two days ago for Vijayawada.

Though he was driving himself, the police said CCTV footage at different toll gates showed a man wearing a white shirt driving the car.

Jayaram never reached Vijayawada.

Highway patrol police found his car in a farmland alongside NH-65 and identified him with the help of his cellphone and ID card. Jayaram’s body was sprawled on the car’s backseat with bloodstains and bruises on his body.

Mr Bose said Jayaram’s car crossed Panthangi toll plaza at 8.30 pm on Thursday after which it was found abandoned in the farmlands near Aitavaram. He said liquor bottles were found in the car.

The police suspect foul play. The cause of death will be known after a post-mortem.

Nandigama police registered a case and begun probe.

Krishna district SP Sarvasreshth Tripathi said four teams had been formed to probe the case.

Jayaram resided in Florida and had recently come to Hyderabad while his family is in the US.

He first started a pharmaceutical company and later several other companies, including Coastal Bank.

A year ago, he had launched a Telugu regional news channel and was arrested for non-payment of salary to employees.