Andhra Pradesh: Techie Hanumantha Rao took Rs 1 crore dowry'

Vijayawada/Prakasam: The parents of NRI techie Narra Sasikala, who was found murdered in her home in New Jersey, US, along with her son, on Friday alleged that their son-in-law N. Hanumantha Rao must have been involved in the killing and was projecting the murders as a hate crime.

Retired teachers Sunkara Venkateswar Rao and Krishna Kumari, who stay at Tadigadapa in Vijayawada, alleged that Mr Hanumantha Rao had an affair with another woman and had been harassing Sasikala for five years. According to Ms Krishna Kumari, Sasikala found messages from another woman in Hanu-mantha Rao’s cellphone in 2012. “Sasikala told me about his affair and took up the matter with her mother-in-law,” she said.

Hanumantha Rao’s parents did not take the matter seriously and asked Sasikala to settle it amicably. “Today my daughter and grandson are dead and her in-laws did not have the courtesy to call us,” Ms Krishna Kumari said amid tears.

She said Sasikala had called home on Thursday and spoke normally. “She told us that our grandson Anish Sai was going to receive the student of the year award from the school,” said Mr Venkateswar Rao.

Sasikala’s maternal uncle Kolli Prabhakar Rao said the murders did not fall into the pattern of hate crimes which he said happen on the spur of the moment and involved firearms. “No incident like this has happened in the USA. Who will kill a seven-year-old boy in this manner,” he said. He claimed that Hanumantha Rao had taken nearly Rs 1 crore as dowry.

Sasikala’s parents demanded that the Centre should intervene and ensure the investigation is done properly. They urged the New Jersey police to look into messages on the phones of Sasikala and Hanumantha Rao.

In Prakasam district, Mr Narra Subba Rao and Ms Siva Parvathi, the parents of Hanumantha Rao, who stay at Timmarajupalem in Paruchuru mandal of Prakasam district were in a state of shock after their son informed them about the tragedy.

They said Hanumantha Rao had dropped his son at school while going to office on Thursday morning and Sasikala had brought him home in the evening. They said when he returned home, there was no response from inside. He took the help of neighbours to break the doors and found the bodies of his wife and son with their throats slit. They immediately called the police.

They did not respond when asked about the allegations of Sasikala’s parents about Hanumantha Rao role in the murders.

His brother-in-law Alokam Ramesh Babu told this newspaper that the police had released Hanumantha Rao after questioning him, and he had called the family. “Police would not have released him if he was at fault. His in-laws are levelling charges against Hanumantha Rao with an eye on the property,” he alleged.

Parents’ demand

• Want Centre to intervene and ens-ure the investigation is done properly.
• Have urged the New Jersey police to look into the messages on the phones of Sasikala and Hanumantha Rao.
• Claim that Hanumantha Rao had taken nearly Rs 1 crore as dowry.
• Hanumantha Rao’s parents meanwhile claim he came home to find no response at the front door. Say he used neighbours’ help to break down door