Cops crack the case of well murders: A party and a few uninvited guests

Warangal: Detectives investigating the mysterious deaths of nine guest workers in rural Warangal in Telangana have determined that they were indeed murders, and zeroed in two men who, they believe, plotted and carried out the crime.

The bodies of six members of one family and three other workers, were recovered on Wednesday and Thursday.

Police investigators said the murders were allegedly plotted by Sanjay Kumar Yadav, a guest worker from Bihar, along with Khatun, son-in-law of Maqsood Alam. Khathun stays in Delhi and ganged up with Yadav, who had a financial dispute with Maqsood Alam.

Police sources said Khatun had separated from Maqsood’s daughter Bushra three years ago after they had had a child.

Investigations revealed that Sanjay saw an opportunity to execute the plan when Maqsood was celebrating his grandson’s birthday on May 20. He purchased sleeping pills from three medical shops, went to the party uninvited and mixed the tablets in soft drinks.

After all those present at the party fell unconscious, he and an autorickshaw driver Mohan, a resident of Chintal, dragged them to the abandoned well and threw them inside. They took the phones from the victims and disposed them on the outskirts of the city.

Footage from CCTV cameras near the well and call data from the phones of the deceased helped the police identify the killer.

Sources said Sanjay has confessed to the crime. The police may officially arrest the accused after fully interrogating him.

Maqsood Alam, a guest worker from West Bengal, his wife Nisha Alam, their sons Shabaz Alam and Sohail Alam, daughter Bushra Alam, her three-year-old son, guest workers from Bihar Sriram and Shyam and Shakeel, another guest worker from Tripura, were killed.

A forensic expert who studied the crime scene said seven of the bodies had bruises on them, and looked like they had been dragged to the well. The forensic reports are expected in 10 days.

"We have preserved all organs and the same were sent to forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination... some two or three persons might have been involved in the crime. There are scratch injuries on the bodies," he said.

"It appears that they were thrown into the water... There were no injuries on the child's body. We are awaiting the forensic report (to ascertain) whether they were poisoned. It didn't appear as if they committed suicide," the expert, who performed the post-mortem said.

Police sources said at least two people were picked up for questioning.

The murders came to light when the bodies of the head of the family, his wife, daughter and three-year old grandson were found floating were and fished out on Thursday. On Friday morning, one more body was seen floating following which police pumped out the well and found four more.

The 48-year old Maqsood Alam had migrated from West Bengal over 20 years ago and had settled down here. His family had been staying in two rooms on the premises of the unit, police said.