VIZAKHAPATNAM: Bheemunipatnam police arrested a couple wanted in a murder case registered in 2022 after tracing them to Swaraj Dweep in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 9, 2026.
The accused, who had allegedly changed their names and were living with forged Aadhaar cards to evade arrest, were brought under transit remand after being produced before a court in Port Blair.
The accused were identified as Vadhamodula Nukaraju alias Srinivasa Rao alias Raj Kumar (27) and Vanka Jyothi (26).
They were wanted in connection with the murder of Jyothi’s husband, Vanka Paidi Raju. The case was registered at Bheemunipatnam police station.
According to the police, Nukaraju allegedly planned the murder and instructed Jyothi to mix tablets into the food served to her husband.
After Paidi Raju fell into a deep sleep, Nukaraju and another accused, Kantumuchu Bholoka, went to Jyothi’s house. With her assistance, they allegedly strangled Paidi Raju and tightened a white tag wire around his neck, killing him.
On December 30, 2022, Jyothi lodged a complaint stating that her husband was missing.
The then Station House Officer of Bheemunipatnam police station registered a man-missing case. On January 12, 2023, the investigating officer recorded their separate statements in the presence of mediators. Later, all three accused were produced before the court. While on bail two of them escaped to Andaman and Nicobar Islands by boat and allegedly changed their names and used forged Aadhaar cards to conceal their identities.
Bheemunipatnam Circle Inspector G. Divakar Yadav travelled to the islands with Women’s Head Constable G. Sridevi, and Police Constables V. Apparao and M. Gouri Reddy. The team traced the two accused on October 9 in Andaman and brought back to Vizag.