Hyderabad: Family members of Nenavath Naveen, a 21-year-old engineering student who was murdered in cold blood by a friend in Brahmanpally, Abdullapurmet, last month, protested outside the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police on Tuesday at LB Nagar over the release of Niharika Reddy, a 20-year-old accused in the case, from the Chanchalguda jail after she was arrested on March 19.
Naveen was murdered by his friend Perala Harihara Krishna on February 17 for attempting to reunite with his former girlfriend, who had moved closer to the former.
According to Naveen's family members, the release of Niharika on bail in such a short period of time demonstrates that the police were sloppy in presenting strong evidence against the accused in the court. "The police had adequate time to investigate and collect evidence in our son's murder case but it looks like they have not done so. Since the evidence is weak, Niharika was granted bail so quickly," said Naveen's father, Nenavath Shankar.
Further, the family members accused the police of not giving appropriate information and of keeping them in the dark about the case's and investigation's progress.
"I lost my young son and the police are not offering us anything about the investigation or the arrests. We have the right to be informed," Shankar stated. According to Shankar's cousin N. Laxman, Niharika used Hari Hara Krishna to eliminate Naveen.
Meanwhile, Sai Sri, DCP of LB Nagar, said that he spoke with Shankar and other Naveen family members, assuring them that the culprits will be brought to justice, and that the case is still being investigated.
Naveen, a final year B-Tech student, was strangled to death, beheaded, and his vital organs were chopped off by the accused Hari Hara Krishna. Naveen had surrendered before the Abdullapurmet police on February 24, while Krishna's friends Prabhahati Hasan and Niharika Reddy were arrested on March 6. Niharika was released on bail on March 19 while Hasan is still under judicial remand.
