SANGAREDDY: A man accused of murdering a 12-year-old boy hanged himself to death atop a cell tower in Jogipet on Sunday afternoon.
According to Jogipet police, the accused — Nagaraju — shoplifted some goods from a grocery store on Saturday night. However, the victim, Alapati Shekar, witnessed the theft and informed the shop owner, who then recovered the stolen items. Angered by this, Nagaraju, who was previously accused of petty thefts, stabbed the boy to death using a knife and threw his body into a well.
On Sunday morning at around 9 am, fearing arrest by the police, Nagaraju climbed the cell tower and threatened to kill himself. Later, police arrived at the scene after being informed by the locals. The cops and the locals requested him to descend from the tower.
Refusing to comply, Nagaraju made a phone call to his friend and asked him to bring a bottle of beer and a plate of biryani, promising to come down in return. His friend brought the items he had requested; however, Nagaraju did not descend. The accused’s friend then started to climb the tower, but Nagaraju threatened to attack him with a knife he held, causing him to abandon his attempt.
The police said that at noon, Nagaraju hanged himself to death using wires present on top of the tower. Cops retrieved his body from the tower in the evening and sent it to Jogipet government hospital for a post-mortem examination. The Jogipet police have registered a case, and an investigation is underway.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)