In a shocking series of events in the Kamareddy district, a total of six family members were murdered within a span of 15 days, and their bodies were dumped in different locations. The accused, identified as Methi Prashanth (20), a native of Makloor in Nizamabad, along with his two friends, Vamshi and Vishnu, and his brother, who is a minor, were apprehended on December 19 by the district police.
According to Bindu Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Kamareddy, an unidentified body of a woman was found in Sadashiva Nagar on December 14. Through their investigation, the police were able to link this murder case to other killings and concluded that Prashanth was a friend of the victim Mangali Prasad, and had planned to kill the family for property. The four accused are suspected to have killed Prasad, his wife Sanvika, their two young children, and Prasad's sisters, Swapna and Shravani.
“Prasad, a native of Makloor and friend of Prashanth was accused in a suicide abetment case of a woman in 2018. He took a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from Prashanth and went to work in Gulf countries. Upon his return in 2022, facing a social boycott in Makloor (due to his alleged involvement in the woman’s suicide), he moved with his family to Palavancha village, Kamareddy district,” SP Bindu Sharma said in a press meet.
“In an attempt to pay off his debts, Prasad sought Prashanth’s help in mortgaging his home in Makloor. But Prashanth suggested transferring the land into his name so that he could mortgage the house and pay back the remaining amount to Prasad. However, Prashanth had ulterior motives to get rid of the family members after the land transfer,” she added.
Series of murders
On November 29, Prasad was taken into the forest by his Prashanth and friends, where he was given alcohol and later killed. The three accused buried Prasad's body in the forest. To avoid suspicion, Prashanth informed Prasad's family that he was hiding in Nizamabad due to legal issues stemming from the suicide abetment case. The family believed Prashanth and did not file a missing case with the police.
On December 1, Prashanth and his two friends rented a car and drove Prasad's wife, Sanvika and his sister Shravani to Nizamabad on the pretext that they could meet Prasad. The three accused allegedly strangled Sanvika with a rope and threw her off the Basara Bridge. Later, Shravani was taken to Chegunta in Medak district, where she was allegedly strangled and set ablaze.
On December 4, Prashanth and his younger brother, a minor, tricked the remaining family members into believing that Prasad and Sanvika wanted to see their children and took them. The children were allegedly killed and their bodies were disposed of near a bridge in Mendora village, Nizamabad.
Prasad's mother, Susheela, and another sister, Swapna, were the last remaining family members. Fearing suspicion, Prashanth took them to a lodge near Nizamabad Railway station. On December 13, Swapna was also strangled to death allegedly by the accused in Sadashiva Nagar.
When none of the family members returned, Susheela sensed danger and escaped from the lodge. The police, already investigating the case of Swapna, used technical evidence and CCTV footage to apprehend Prashanth, Vamsi, Vishnu, and the minor boy. The police also recovered documents which showed that the land had been transferred to Prashanth’s name.
The police said the bodies of Swapna, Shravani and the two children have been recovered, while the bodies of Prasad and his wife remain missing. The cell phones of the murdered family members were seized from the accused on December 19.