VISAKHAPATNAM : The city police in the wee hours of Thursday nabbed two people near NAD Junction for killing a 65-year-old widow and retired head nurse of South East Railways, B Andalamma, in her residence at Abidnagar in Akkayyapalem area of the city on the night of April 13. They also recovered 125 g of gold ornaments worth `1.12 lakh from them.
The arrested were identified as U Satish Kumar (20), ex-offender and auto-driver from Akkayyapalem, and his friend P Dhanaraj (32), a native of Tuni in East Godavari district and a resident of Abidnagar in the city. Dhanraj is married and has two children. He was residing just opposite Andalamma’s house.
Addressing the newsmen, deputy commissioner of police (Crimes) K Ravi Kumar Murthy said that Satish Kumar was involved in several thefts in PM Palem, IV-Town and II-Town police station limits. An Intermediate dropout, he wanted to lead a luxurious life and was stealing mobile phones and auto-rickshaw tyres. He had been selling the stolen cell phones to Dhanraj, who is running a mobile phone servicing centre at Dabagardens in the city, and they both eventually became friends.
Dhanaraj, who was unable to make ends meet with his paltry income, decided to make easy money to overcome his financial crisis and sought the help of Satish Kumar. They both decided to rob Andalamma off her valuables and hatched a plot. Dhanaraj, through his wife, befriended Andalamma and won her confidence. Very recently, he fetched workers to polish the furniture in her house. Believing him to be her well-wisher, Andalamma revealed her plans to Dhanaraj to sell her property, which was when he decided to kill her.
On the night of April 13, Dhanaraj visited Andalamma’s house along with Satish Kumar and told her that they had come to polish her furniture. When she said that the polishing work was already completed, Satish Kumar tried to divert her attention and asphyxiated her with the sari she was wearing. When Andalamma tried to scream, the duo pulled her into the bedroom and strangled her to death. They snatched all the gold jewellery on her body and tried to open the almirah, but fled through the backyard when a girl, who sleeps in the house at nights to give company to Andalamma, rang the doorbell.
When the woman did not respond, the girl alerted the neighbours, who broke the doors open and found Andalamma dead. Based on a complaint, the Central Crime Station police under the guidance of city police chief and DCPs, started investigation and arrested the accused near NAD Junction when they were making plans to sell the ornaments. The arrested will be produced in court.