Man given death penalty for murdering in-laws

Hyderabad: Twenty-two months after a couple were murdered by their son-in-law in Warangal, a local court on Wednesday convicted and awarded him the death sentence.

The first additional district court’s judge said in the verdict that apart from death penalty, the convict Mekala Nagaraju has to pay a fine of ₹5,000.

Autorickshaw driver Mekala Nagaraju, a native of Gundenga village in Mahabubabad district, married Banoth Deepika from Warangal district in 2023 after eloping with her. However, a few days after their marriage, she returned to the residence of her parents – Banoth Srinu (50) and his wife Banoth Suguna (45), since she did not like Nagaraju’s conduct.

Despite his repeated requests, Deepika refused to return to him. This made Nagaraju bear a grudge against her and felt that her parents have influenced Deepika. He also came to know that her parents had a plan to get her married to an another man and conspired to kill everyone in her family. On July 10, 2024, Deepika, her brother Srinivas and their parents – Srinu and Suguna were sleeping outside the house in the village.

“The accused with an intention to kill Deepika and her family members, reached her house. He first attacked her parents with a knife while they were asleep on the cot. Immediately, Deepika and her brother Srinivas out of fear tried to escape from the spot. Nagaraju chased and attacked them. Subsequently, he returned to Deepika’s parents’ place and stabbed them nearly 30 times,’’ Warangal police told TOI. Srinivas and Deepika too suffered multiple slash injuries.

During the trial, the witness statements given by Deepika, Srinivas and a few others turned out to be crucial in convicting Nagaraju.