Pallam aunt’s ‘killer’ caught

HYDERABAD: Police cracked the sensational murder case of Union minister Pallam Raju’s aunt and arrested a wood polisher working at the apartment complex. They also recovered 40 tolas of gold jewellery and Rs 55,000 cash from his possession.
Mallapudi Susheela Devi, 79, was murdered at her flat number 103 at Lotus Splendido apartment on Road No 1 Banjara Hills on April 27 afternoon.The woman, a widow who owned eight out of the 15 flats in the apartment complex, was living alone as her two daughters—Bharathi and Saraswathi—had settled in the USA. Susheela Devi was noticed lying dead in the kitchen by a domestic help, when she did not respond to calls of a house rental agent, Praveen.
By looking at the scene of offence, police felt that it was an act of a person whom the woman knew well. Police listed out names of all persons who entered the apartment complex on April 27 and grilled them.
During interrogation, police discovered that Umesh Sahani, 42, who is a reisdent of Gowrishankar Colony in Banjara Hills and a native of Uttar Pradesh, used to visit her to get keys of other flats owned by her where wood polishing work was taking place.
According to deputy commissioner of police (DCP), West Zone, M Stephen Ravindra, Umesh went to work in an inebriated state on April 27. At about 1.20 pm, he rang the door bell of Susheela Devi’s flat. When she opened the door, Umesh asked her for keys of flat number 302 where polishing work was going on and also requested her for some drinking water, the DCP said.
As she went to get a water bottle from the refrigerator, Umesh attacked her from behind. “He throttled her and banged her head against the wall. Due to asphyxiation, the woman died on the spot,” Stephen Ravindra said.
After killing Susheela Devi, the wood polisher opened two almairahs in the bedroom using keys available there and walked away with the valuables.
According to the DCP, Umesh was in debts and committed the murder in a moment of alcohol-induced desperation. “It was not a preplanned one,” the DCP added. After committing the robbery, Umesh walked out of the apartment and went straight to an open land adjacent to his house and buried the booty there.
After the confession, police dug out the booty, comprising eight bangles, three gold chains, a pair of ear tops, a navaratna ring, two gold chains studded with rubis and a bracelet, and Rs 55,000 cash.
The police officer said Umesh was nabbed near Care Hospital in Banjara Hills on Thursday. He would be produced in court on Friday.