Marie Christine De Rochemonteix, a 68-year-old French national residing in Hyderabad, was found dead at the Himayatsagar reservoir on Saturday, September 11. Her body was recovered from the bushes near the Himayatsagar reservoir. Police said she was allegedly killed for her property by her adopted daughter and her daughter’s partner. Three people, including her adopted daughter, have been arrested for her murder, the police said on Saturday. Marie, who had moved to India about 30 years ago and settled in Hyderabad, had established the Marica Group of Schools in the city for orphans and the poor, according to a statement issued by the police.
Police say Marie Christine had four children — two biological daughters and two adopted daughters. Three days ago, a complaint was filed by Marie Christine’s son-in-law Prashanth on September 9, saying his mother-in-law was missing. During the investigation, it emerged that Marie Christine was killed on the night of September 8, and her body was dumped at the Himayatsagar reservoir at the city's outskirts. The body was recovered on Saturday morning and by the evening, the Cyberabad police announced that they have cracked the case with the arrest of three accused persons. Roma, 24, one of the adopted daughters of the deceased; her live-in partner Vikram Sriramula (25); and his friend Rahul Gowtham, 24, have been arrested in connection with the case.
Police said that Marie Christine had created a profile for Roma on a matrimony site. Roma had become acquainted with Vikram, who is unemployed, through the website and the two of them started living together in a rented house in the city, they said. Marie Christine, however, was not in favour of their relationship and refused to allow their marriage, police said. Roma, Vikram, and Vikram’s friend Rahul then conspired to kill Marie Christine to grab her property, the statement said.
According to their plan, the two accused men allegedly strangulated Marie Christine to death with a rope on September 8 at her residence. It was Roma who had informed them that her mother was at home, police said. The elderly woman's body was then dumped near the reservoir, police said. Police grew suspicious about the daughter and during interrogation, she confessed to having committed the offence, the statement said. The accused woman along with the two men have been arrested, police said.
Marie’s biological daughter, Marie Solange is married to Prashanth, and the second biological daughter Rebecca lives in Puducherry. Roma and another girl named Priyanka had been adopted soon after birth and were living with Marie Christine at Dargah Khalij Khan.
With agency inputs
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