Two persons, including a juvenile in conflict with law, were arrested on the charge of murdering 75 year old Bathula Appa Rao by a team of the Fifth Town Police Station Airport Zone, led by ACP North Zone C.M. Naidu and SHO B. Tirumala Rao here on Tuesday.

Apart from the juvenile, the other person charged with murder was Panam Amrutha Raju, a resident of Kancharapalem.

Appa Raos body was found by his family members on the service road on NH 16 near Hanuman temple, Sainagar, Marripalem, on November 20.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramgopal Naik said that the accused, in an inebriated condition, picked up an argument with Appa Rao at about 2.30 a.m. on November 20, and then allegedly smashed his head with a cement stone that was lying nearby, which led to his instant death.

“Appa Rao was suffering from some kind of a mental disorder and he would wake up in the middle of the night and loiter around in the neighbourhood. On that particular day, he was sitting near an electric pole close to the temple, and the duo, without any motive, picked up an argument with him. In the heat of the moment, they killed him, as they were fully drunk,” the DCP said.

The team zeroed in on the duo after conducting a detailed check with the rowdy sheeters and anti-social elements in the area.