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The Ibrahimpatnam police in Andhra Pradesh’s NTR district arrested a 35-year-old man on Sunday, September 27, for allegedly killing a 30-year-old woman, dismembering her body, and dumping the remains in a cooling canal leading to the Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS).
The accused has been identified as Mohammed Shafi, a resident of Vijayawada’s Bhavanipuram, who allegedly killed Valluripalli Kalyani, a native of Tadinada village in Eluru district who was staying in Mangalagiri, near Vijayawada. A second accused, Durga Rao alias Abdullah, who allegedly helped Shafi dismember and dispose of the body, is absconding.
The case came to light on September 18 when police received information about the torso of an unidentified person lying near the VTPS cooling canal. With the assistance of a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, police searched the canal and subsequently recovered the victim’s remains. The remains were sent to Vijayawada government hospital for postmortem examination.
Police circulated details and photographs of the unidentified body through social media and other channels, following which Kalyani’s brother approached the police after recognising a tattoo on her hand.
According to Vijayawada (West) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Durga Rao, Kalyani had given birth to a son a few years ago while in a relationship with another man. While the relationship did not culminate in a marriage, Shafi, who already had three daughters and wished for a son, agreed to adopt the child, he said.
According to the ACP, the police found that whenever Kalyani was in need of money, she borrowed from Shafi. “She told Shafi that he either give her more money or return the child back to her. Shafi was attached to his adopted son. He decided to put an end to the harassment by murdering Kalyani,” he added.
On September 17, Kalyani allegedly told Shafi she would come to Bhavanipuram for money. Upon reaching his house, an argument broke out between the two over money, the ACP said.
“He told her that he was unable to meet her demands for money which prompted an argument. During the course of argument, he allegedly attacked her with a knife and slit her throat, killing her,” Durga Rao said.
In the course of the investigation, police detected bloodstains at Shafi’s residence and the Gollapudi canal and are examining forensic evidence. Officials also said Kalyani’s son was currently with Shafi’s wife. Authorities are seeking legal advice on the child’s custody, with the possibility of handing him over to the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) department.
Further investigation is underway.
