The Kancharapalem police on Wednesday arrested three persons on the charge of murdering a “mentally challenged” person.

The arrested were Kagithala Narasinga Murthy (23), Pendra Pentayya (19), and Komaralagiri Ganesh (20), all school dropouts and residents of Pydimamba Colony in Kancharapalem.

ADCP S. Varada Raju said that the accused were friends and indulged in petty cases to fund their vices such as alcohol consumption and gambling. In such an attempt, on the night of October 25, they spotted a man sleeping under the flyover at Ramamurthy Panthulu Peta in Kancharapalem.

When they tried to search his pockets, the man, believed to be mentally challenged, resisted their attempts, and a scuffle broke out.

The accused not only injured the man with a knife but also grievously hurt him by hitting his head to a concrete pillar.

“Thereafter, they left the man profusely bleeding. People passing-by called the 108 ambulance and admitted him in KGH. The man, who is yet to be identified, succumbed to the injuries on October 31 while undergoing treatment,” said Mr. Varada Raju.

A team led by Inspector B. Mohana Rao and Emanuel Raju investigated the case and arrested the accused.

Robbery

During the course of investigation, it was learnt that the accused was involved in the robbery of a wine shop at Gajuwaka, where they made good with 44 cellphones that were kept in the shop for safe custody.