Hyderabad: A woman allegedly conspired with her lover and others to murder her husband for insurance money worth nearly Rs 2 crore in Telangana’s Mancherial district, police said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, Mancherial DCP Bhaskar said the accused had initially attempted to portray the murder as a road accident.
The victim, Sai Kumar aged 45, a resident of Gudipet village in Hajipur mandal, was travelling on his motorcycle towards Mancherial on May 22 when he was found critically injured on the roadside. He later died while being shifted to a hospital in Karimnagar in an 108 ambulance.
Probe launched after suspecting foul play
Police launched an investigation after suspecting foul play in the incident.
According to police, Sai Kumar’s wife Bharathi was allegedly in an extramarital relationship with one Lagishetty Surender, also from Gudipet village. The duo allegedly decided to eliminate Kumar as they considered him an obstacle to their relationship.
Police said Bharathi had been paying premiums for multiple insurance policies, including LIC, in her husband’s name since January 2025. The accused allegedly believed they could claim nearly Rs 2 crore if Kumar died in a road accident.
Investigators said Kumar had borrowed Rs 60,000 from one Ram Mallesh of Gudipet and had not repaid the amount, leading to frequent disputes. During this period, Ram Mallesh reportedly became acquainted with Bharathi.
Contract amount offered to kill Kumar
Police alleged that Bharathi and Surender offered Ram Mallesh a contract amount of Rs 10 lakh to kill Kumar and paid him Rs 2 lakh in advance last month.
As he could not execute the crime alone, Ram Mallesh allegedly roped in Sriram, a resident of LIC Colony in Mancherial.
According to police, the accused executed the plan on May 22 near Mulkalla village. Ram Mallesh and Sriram allegedly made Kumar consume excessive alcohol before attacking him on the head with an iron hammer.
To make the murder appear as a road accident, the accused allegedly dumped Kumar and his motorcycle by the roadside before fleeing the spot.
Kumar’s mother lodges complaint
The case took a turn after Kumar’s mother Lakshmi, lodged a complaint expressing suspicion against Ram Mallesh.
Police said Bharathi’s behaviour and her alleged relationship with Surender further strengthened their suspicions.
Under the supervision of Mancherial ACP Prakash, Rural CI Ravinder and his team conducted a detailed probe and established that the case was murder, not an accident.
Police seized insurance-related documents and Rs 25,000 cash from the accused.
Bharathi, Surender and Sriram were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, while Ram Mallesh is absconding, the DCP said.
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