HYDERABAD: A 29-year-old youth, Rakesh Reddy, who was kidnapped on Wednesday morning, was found dead at a rented home of his relatives in Jawaharnagar in Medchal. His throat was slit.
Grief-stricken Bal Reddy, the deceased’s father alleged that his son-in-law, Mahender Reddy, was behind the murder. However, police suspect that more than two people must have been behind the crime.
Rakesh’s younger sister Roshna was married to Mahender, a software engineer, a few months ago. However, differences cropped up between the couple and Roshna filed dowry harassment case, against Mahender, police said.
Resident of Nagaram, Rakesh left home at 6 a.m. saying he was leaving for a function at Shamirpet.
However, two hours later, Bal Reddy received a message from his son’s phone number which reportedly read ‘We were waiting to kidnap your daughter for the past one month. We have your son’.
The message which was sent in Hindi written in English script, warned Bal Reddy that he will not get his son if he makes an issue.
Later, at around 1 p.m. abductors sent another message from the same number demanding a ransom of Rs 8 lakh by 9 p.m., but did not specify any location where the money had to be delivered.
A few hours later, the family members approached Keesara police to lodge a complaint, and police swung into action.
Police said that when Rakesh’s uncle Sreedhar Reddy visited the house adjacent to Saketh Towers in Jawaharnagar, at around 9.30 p.m., he found the young man lying in pool of blood on the ground, with his throat slit.
He alerted the police, who reached the spot.
The house belongs to one Harish Reddy, a distant relative of Rakesh and Sreedhar.
“We got to know of his death at around 9.30 p.m. My suspicion is on my son-in-law Mahender Reddy,” said Bal Reddy, opening a paper packet which contained his son’s belongings such as bracelet. He said that there is some conflict between them and his son-in-law.
“We registered cases under 364 (a) (Kidnapping for ransom), and 302 (Punishment for Murder). We are investigating the case,” said Jawaharnagar police Inspector P Venkatagiri. Post-mortem of the body was conducted at Gandhi Hospital.