HYDERABAD: Anumula Murali Krishna, a priest in Swayambhu Siddhivinayak Temple at Vishnupuri colony of Malkajgiri, who was arrested for the brutal murder of a woman devotee, was confident of not getting caught or even landing in suspicion, as the time he chose was usually the closing time of the temple.
Even if someone dropped in suddenly, he was confident that he could ask them to wait citing some ritual. There were eight CCTVs in the temple, but all of them lying defunct, gave him more confidence.
Even after killing the woman, he packed the body in a drum and kept the drum inside the temple for three days, even as pujas and other rituals continued without any break. When other devotees complained of some pungent odour, he told them some animal might have died near the railway tracks and burnt more incense in the temple.
Murali Krishna (42), who had been working at the temple for over three years, knew the victim, about her children and the entire family background. The victim, who stays closeby, visited the temple at the same time every evening.
As she also knew Murali Krishna very well, she had recently discussed with him about her daughter, who got married recently and also about her son, for whom they were looking for alliances.
On April 18, when she visited the temple, he spoke to her and after she had darshan, he asked her to sit saying that he would get her Akshintalu (sacred rice). As she waited for him, he attacked her with an iron rod hitting her repeatedly, killing her on the spot.
Police found that Murali Krishna, who could have been planning to kill and rob her, tried to dispose of her body on the same night, but due to heavy public and police movement at the temple and surrounding areas, dropped the plan. He even joined them in the search.
While the CCTVs in the temple were of no use, cameras outside the temple, located between the woman’s house and the temple showed her going towards the temple. But she was not found returning. As there is no other way to return home, police combed all houses between the temple till the cameras which spotted her and also inquired the residents, but could not get any breakthrough.
On Thursday after her body was found, police found that no vehicle came to that spot and also concluded that it is difficult for anyone to carry her body to the spot, as it was in a decomposed condition.
Cool and collected criminal
As the woman's footwear was found near the temple and Murali Krishna being the last person to have seen her at the temple, police zeroed in on him and on questioning, he confessed to have killed her. Police found that even after killing her, he was very composed and normal and did not even try to leave the area to avoid any suspicions