NELLORE: The investigation of police team has focused on how Mallapati Suresh Reddy had procured a pistol with ‘Made in USA’ to gun down his colleague before shooting himself in Podalakuru mandal on Monday. The 34-year-old software engineer opened fire at the 26-year-old woman reportedly after she had rejected his repeated marriage proposals with a 9mm pistol.
Suresh had been working in Bengaluru, and the woman was employed in the same firm’s Pune facility. Both belonged to the same locality, and had been working from their respective homes following the Covid-19 outbreak.
Suresh went to her house around 3 pm on Monday and opened fire at her with a 9mm pistol, overcoming her sister’s efforts to prevent him. Though the first bullet missed the target, the second pierced her head. He then left the house and shot himself some 200 metres away, police said.Hearing the gunshots, local residents rushed in and alerted the woman’s relatives. Her parents rushed her to the Government General Hospital in Nellore, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.
A police team, led by Additional SP (Crime) Chowdeswari, has taken up investigation under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Ch Vijaya Rao. The probe team consists of Podalakuru Circle Inspector Sangameswar Rao, Sub-Inspector Kareemulla and others.
The team had taken over mobile phones of Suresh Reddy and the woman. The team found that five rounds were fired from the pistol that was collected from the crime spot. Two rounds were fired at the woman, one bullet missed and the other pierced the head of the victim.
Suresh Reddy also shot himself with another bullet from the pistol. Now, police are investigating pertaining to other two bullets. “We don’t know how Suresh got the pistol,” said his mother M Parameswari. Additional force was deployed in the village to prevent any untoward incident.