HYDERABAD: Abdullapurmet police arrested three persons, including the main accused, for allegedly murdering a woman over a property dispute, dismembering her body and dumping it in a water body. The accused — Pappu Ram Kumavat, Rakesh Kumavat and Sunil Kumar — are residents of Batasingaram and natives of Rajasthan. The victim, Leela Devi, a kirana shop owner, is survived by two children.
The case surfaced on March 8 after Pappu Ram filed a missing complaint stating that his cousin Leela Devi had disappeared from her residence on February 28 while her kids were at school.
During investigation, police grew suspicious of the complainant and questioned him. He allegedly confessed to the crime, stating that he, along with the two others, had killed her. Abdullapurmet inspector V Ashok Reddy told TNIE that Rakesh, another accused, was a worker at the kirana shop while Sunil was a street vendor.
Police said the murder was linked to a land dispute. The duo had jointly purchased a 120-square-yard plot, but it was registered in Pappu Ram’s name. Following repeated demands from Leela Devi to transfer ownership, he allegedly planned the murder.
After killing her, the accused transported the body in a car to Pedda (Akka) Cheruvu in Majedpur village, where they severed the legs, packed the body in a bag and dumped it, while the limbs were disposed of separately.
After the confession, the police altered the sections from Section 135 of the BNS to Sections 103(1), 238 and 61(2) .