HYDERABAD: Petbasheerabad police have arrested five men for the alleged murder of a 38-year-old businessman, Syed Siddiq, in Kompally. The accused were identified as Shaik Ahmad (33), Shaik Rehmath (24), Kodimyala Shashi Kumar (23), Vagmar Raj Kamal (24), all from Macha Bollaram, and Varikuppala Jampanna (20) from Old Alwal.
Police said a long-standing business rivalry led to the murder. Siddiq and his father had been renting battery lights to vegetable vendors in weekly markets for over 15 years and had frequent disputes with Ahmad’s family, who ran a similar business. A confrontation in March at the Medchal market led to a police case against Siddiq.
According to police, Ahmad, fearing further threats from Siddiq, planned the murder with his brother Rehmath and three others. On May 11, after confirming Siddiq’s presence at the Kompally weekly market near Central Park, the group attacked him around 7.45 pm and fled.
Police recovered two knives, a motorcycle, and blood-stained clothes. Jampanna was found to have a criminal record with theft cases across Shamirpet, Alwal and Mahankali police station limits between 2020 and 2024.
The suspects were traced and arrested based on CCTV footage, technical surveillance and local inputs. All five have confessed to the crime, police said.