Hyderabad history-sheeter murder: 3 held; influencer targeted, rivalry and extortion spark plot

HYDERABAD: The Kukatpally police arrested three people in connection with a murder case reported at Prakash Nagar in Kukatpally. According to the police, Syed Shahed (26), a history-sheeter, was stabbed and bludgeoned to death late on Sunday.The arrested were identified as Y Hanak alias Munna (25), Md Sameer Khan alias Dagad Sameer (25), both residents of Borabanda and Md Sajid (24) of Moulali. They were produced before a local court and remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.According to Balanagar DCP K Suresh Kumar, the trio were once close associates of Shahed but conspired to eliminate him due to personal rivalry."Sajid, one of the accused, has over 20,000 followers on Instagram and he earns money by promoting shop openings and other events. Shahed had demanded a monthly payment of Rs 5,000 from Sajid, and the latter was upset about it. The other two accused wanted to eliminate Shahed to gain dominance in the Borabanda area. The trio came together and hatched a plan to murder Shahed," the DCP said.As per their plan, on the night of June 29, the accused invited Shahed to an isolated place behind Dev Istana Homes in Prakash Nagar, Kukatpally, under the pretext of celebrating their friend Pavan's birthday."Nine people attended the party, and after the cake cutting, Sameer left with five others, signalling Munna and Sajid to carry out the murder. After ensuring that Shahed was drunk, Sajid slit his throat with a broken beer bottle while Munna bludgeoned his head with boulders, killing him on the spot," Kukatpally inspector P Rajesh said.The police team scoured through the CCTV footage and mobile phone records to zero in on the accused. They recovered the clothes worn during the attack, four mobile phones, liquor bottles and the boulders used in the crime.Among the accused, Sameer, also a history-sheeter, has several cases registered against him, including theft, cheating, harassment and a murder case at different police stations across the city.