HYDERABAD: Eight special police teams, which cracked the murder of B. Anuradha Reddy, had no leads in the case until a tip-off from a stranger. While police officials were in the dark after Anuradha’s severed head was found on Musi riverbed on May 17, the case began picking pace after the tip-off.
“I vaguely identify the victim. She resembles a financier from whom I had
borrowed money for seven months, but I am not sure,” the caller had said,
according to a senior police officer. “Although we did not trust the person
initially, we had no other option as there were no other leads in the case,”
the officer said.
On the day of Anuradha’s murder, eight special teams were formed. On May 18,
the cops checked CCTV footage, picked up on cell phone tower signals and
identified over 130 people who used the Teegalagadda road between May 12 and May 17. Police officials also released a poster of the victim to 735 station
house officers (SHOs) in the state and coordinated with police teams from
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha.
The investigating officers also sought the help of the Aadhaar’s technical
team to identify the victim by her iris. However, they hit a dead-end as
iris identification could only be done within two to three hours after a
person’s death.
“While initially we suspected that the murder was either over jewellery or a
jilted affair, one of the victim’s customers identified her, although the
the person was unsure. We still took a shot as it was a sensitive case and
did not rule out any angles. Based on the tip-off, we finally reached the
victim’s rented accommodation in Chaitanyapuri.”
After searching the victim’s house, the police found her Aadhaar card and
identified her. It was then they took custody of Chandramohan, whom she was
in a relationship with. Chandramohan, a stock broker, was also Anuradha’s
landlord.
Upon interrogation, he confessed that he had borrowed over Rs 16 lakh and
two kilos of gold from the victim. Since he had invested the borrowings in
the stock market and had suffered losses, he was unable to repay her. On May
11, an argument ensued between the two and Anuradha repeatedly asked for her
money and gold. An irate Chandramohan purchased granite cutting machines and butcher knives on May 12, slit her throat and other body parts.
Early on May 16, he wrapped her severed head in a polythene bag and threw it
near Musi. He was waiting for the right time to dispose of the other body
parts, stored in his house, when the police caught on to him.
