ANANTAPUR: The police arrested five persons in connection with the sensational triple murder case, which took place in a Siva temple at Korthikota in Tanakallu mandal on July 15, 2019, and seized a knife, a hammer, a pepper bottle, two bottles of blood, two motorcycles and five mobile phones from them. Disclosing the case details to the media here on Tuesday, SP B Satyayesu Babu said that the accused brutally murdered S Shivarami Reddy (66), V Satya Lakshmamma (70) and K Kamalamma (75) in a Siva temple at Korithikota in Tanakallu mandal.
Later, they sprinkled the blood of the deceased on the Sivalangam and around the temple. The accused, Ramavat Hanumanthu Naik (20), Srikanth Naik (20), Chakali Ganesh (25), Y Vasudeva Reddy (45) and M Srinivasulu (45) were arrested from a garden at Madaka in Mudigubba mandal, while Subramanyam Naidu is still at large. The gang members were told by one Subramanyam Naidu that there were diamonds underneath Sivalingam in the temple. Following which, they conducted a recce at the temple on March 17, 2019.
Srinivasulu selected July 14 (Sunday) as it was Trayodashi to search for hidden treasure. On July 14 night, the accused entered the temple and found two elderly women asleep. They first attacked priest Shivarami Reddy, who slept on a cot and stabbed him on the neck. Later, they killed two women and sprinkled the blood of the deceased, along with animal’s blood, around the temple and a snake pit. They tried to uproot the Sivalingam by digging around it, but gave up their attempt in the fear of getting caught by the villagers.