VIJAYAWADA: The First Additional Magistrate Court on Saturday remanded the accused in 21-year-old Divya Tejaswini’s murder case to two-week judicial custody. Nagendra Babu alias Chinna Swamy (25) was arrested by Disha police on Friday after his discharge from the Guntur general government hospital (GGH). Magistrate S Kamalakar Reddy, in his order, told police that Nagendra Babu needs to be transferred to Rajahmundry Central Jail after being tested for Covid-19 at Machilipatnam special court.
Earlier in the day, Disha police took the accused to ESI hospital for medical tests. The murder took place on October 15 at the victim’s residence in Christurajapuram under Machavaram police station limits where the accused Nagendra barged into the house and stabbed Tejaswini to death. Police took the accused into custody after 21 days.
Speaking to TNIE, Disha police station Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) VV Naidu said they are going to file custody petition with the court seeking police custody of Nagendra. “We are yet to collect evidence as the accused has been claiming that he married Tejaswini and it was a suicide pact. Our investigation will also focus on the circumstances that led him to kill Tejaswini,” the ACP said.
Naidu said a special team will visit the college in Bhimavaram where Tejaswini pursued engineering to record the statements of her friends and others. “So far, we have questioned more than 50 persons and collected their statements. Charge-sheet will be filed against Nagendra soon after collecting evidence,” the ACP added.