Anantapur: The Andhra Police arrested two hearing-and speech-impaired persons for the murder of their employer in Karnataka’s Ballari district, using a partially burnt papad packet recovered from the crime scene as the key clue.
Basavaraju (31) and Kotresh (36) of Ballari murdered Gururaju Rao, a papad trader, who is also believed to be hearing- and speech-impaired.
The charred body was discovered on June 23, leaving investigators with almost no clues. A partially burnt Kannada newspaper, burnt clothes, a sacred thread and a damaged papad packet were recovered from the scene.
The papad packet proved to be the turning point. Andhra Pradesh Police traced the manufacturer through the address printed on the packet and followed the supply chain from Chennai to Ballari. They discovered that Gururaju Rao had been reported missing. The Kannada newspaper and sacred thread found further helped them confirm his identity.
Investigators later discovered that the victim’s ATM card had been used after the murder. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) videos from an ATM showed the suspects withdrawing cash while communicating through sign language. Using the footage, technical evidence and call records, Andhra Pradesh Police tracked the accused to Obulapuram Cross and arrested them on July 8.
Anantapur Superintendent of Police P Jagadish said Basavaraju and Kotresh targeted Rao believing he had amassed substantial wealth through his business and temple-related activities. They killed him in a secluded agricultural field near Pulakurthi village in Anantapur district and set his body on fire to destroy evidence.
After committing the murder, they fled with his mobile phone, ATM card and TVS XL motorcycle before burning the body to eliminate evidence.
As Basavaraju and Kotresh are hearing-and speech-impaired, police sought the help of sign language experts during interrogation. The duo allegedly confessed to the crime, following which police recovered the victim’s motorcycle, mobile phone and papad bundles.
The case has been widely appreciated as an example of meticulous investigation by Andhra Pradesh Police, where a seemingly insignificant papad packet led investigators across state borders to Ballari and helped crack a murder that initially appeared impossible to solve.
This post was last modified on July 9, 2026 5:40 pm