Hyderabad: Treasure hunting leading to the murder of a man in Nagarkurnool has come to light almost a month after the crime.
According to Nagarkurnool Deputy Superintendent of Police B Srinivas, A Rangaswamy, a resident of Mylaram village in Kodair mandal, had informed his family members that he was going to Hyderabad to visit his ailing brother on 29 July.
However, his whereabouts were unknown by that evening. After his wife Aruna lodged a missing person’s complaint with the police on 4 August, the facts related to Rangaswamy’s murder came to light.
Pulender Goud alias Pullaiah Goud, a resident of Achampet, and Rangaswamy used to hunt for treasure. Rangaswamy had taken Rs 5 lakh from Goud in return for showing the spots where treasure could be found. Rangaswamy kept deferring the plans and started demanding Rs 5 lakh more from Goud, also warning the latter that if he failed to make the payment, he would tell a seer to destroy any treasure present in those spots.
Goud engaged some people to kill Rangaswamy. On 29 August, Goud and his accomplices picked up Rangaswamy in a car from Jadcherla and took him to Allipur, located close to Mahabubnagar, for a party. They spiked his food and toddy, and after he became unconscious, they took him to a mango garden in Balmoor mandal, where they struck him on the head with an iron rod. They buried him in a pit that had already been dug for the purpose.
Upon interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. According to DSP Srinivas, there are seven accused in the murder, among whom six have been taken into custody and will be sent for remand.
The mortal remains of Rangaswamy were retrieved from the mango garden on 28 August in the presence of Pedda Kothapalli MRO Srinivasulu and were handed over to the victim’s family members after a post-mortem examination.
According to the DSP, the accused Pulender Goud has been involved in three murder cases.
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