Greed for easy money to support vices is the motive behind the murder for gain reported in Tagarapuvalasa area.

On August 26, 60-year-old Atchayyamma was first strangulated and then her throat slit with a knife. The jewellery on her person was later taken away. The police arrested two persons, including a close relative of the woman, in this connection here on Thursday. The police also recovered one gold chain, four gold bangles, and a pair of ear-rings that belong to the victim from the accused.

The arrested were identified as P. Venkat Rao (34), a welder and a close relative of the deceased, and M. Chakradhar (45), a TV mechanic.

DCP (Crime) T. Ravi Kumar Murthy said that Venkat Rao had worked as a welder in Hindustan Shipyard till 2001. Thereafter, he had left for Singapore and worked there till 2007. Upon returning, he had started an unofficial job consultancy firm. He had been charged with duping many people by promising to send them to Singapore. Cheating cases had also been booked against him at Malkapuram Police Station in 2009 and 2014 for duping people to the tune of Rs. 14 lakh.

Venkat Rao befriended M. Chakradhar four years ago. To fund their vices, they decided to make easy money. Venkat Rao hatched a plan to rob Atchayyamma of her jewellery. They tried in vain to commit robbery on August 25. Later, they decided to eliminate her. They were aware of the fact that her son would be away from home from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The accused reached Atchayyamma’s house at around 1.30 p.m. knowing well that her daughter-in-law, who is also a cousin of Venkat Rao, would go out for shopping for Varalakshmi puja to be performed the following day.

Finding the woman alone in a room on the second floor of the house, they first strangulated her with a nylon rope and then slit her throat to make sure that she was dead, and made good with the booty. Though clueless in the beginning, the CCS team led by Inspector Raghu Srinivas stumbled upon the fact that Venkat Rao used to visit the victim’s house regularly.

On interrogation, he confessed to the crime.

A relative of the victim among two arrested in the case