RAJANNA: A day after bank employee Nyalakanti Divya was murdered in cold blood at her residence in Gajwel in Siddipet district, the accused in the case, Sairi Venkatesh, surrendered to the police at Vemulavada in Rajanna-Sircilla district on Wednesday. He was handed over to Gajwel police for further investigation.
A preliminary inquiry by the police revealed that Venkatesh had been frustrated over the fact that Divya, who was working at Grameena Vikas Bank, had decided to marry another bank employee, ignoring his love overtures.
He followed her as soon as she left from work at 8:15 pm on Tuesday and entered her house.
She had been alone at the house at the time as her parents had gone out to finalise work for her wedding, which was scheduled to be held on February 26.
He took advantage of the fact that no one else was at home and slashed her throat and fled from the spot.
The police shifted her body to Gajwel Government Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was conducted.
Though the hospital authorities tried to hand over the body to her parents, they refused to take it, demanding that the accused be arrested immediately.
Later, after Minister KT Rama Rao discussed the issue with Siddipet in-charge Police Commissioner N Shwetha, Gajwel Additional Police Commissioner P Narayana managed to persuade Divya’s parents to complete her last rites.
Divya had completed her primary studies in Yellareddypet, during which, Venkatesh had been her classmate. Even then, he used to harass her to reciprocate his love. Her parents had lodged complaints with the police against him at Vemulawada and Yellareddypeta police stations.
The Vemulavada police had even taken an undertaking from Venkatesh that he would not harass her. Divya’s parents had registered another complaint at Gajwel police station, following which the police warned him against harassing her.
However, he told the police that he would mend his ways, after which Divya’s parents fixed a match for her with one Sandeep from Warangal.