HYDERABAD: A 45-year-old labourer was allegedly killed by four youths, one of them a minor, following a quarrel over a spilled chutney at Nacharam in the early hours of Monday. The victim, Murali Krishna, a resident of Kalyanipuram in Uppal, is survived by his wife and seven-year-old daughter.
Police on Tuesday identified the three adult accused as Md Junaid alias Jaffer (18), Sheikh Saifuddin (18) and Ponna Manikanta (21), while the juvenile is aged 16. All four have reportedly confessed to their involvement in the crime.
According to Nacharam police, Murali Krishna had gone to his brother’s house in Jillelaguda, Saroornagar, on November 2. While returning home to Uppal late that night, he was offered a lift near LB Nagar by the four accused in their car.
The group stopped for tiffin near NGRI, where an argument broke out after Murali Krishna accidentally spilled chutney on one of the youths. The dispute turned violent, and the accused allegedly assaulted and stabbed him inside the car.
Though severely injured, Murali Krishna managed to exit the car before collapsing on the roadside. Locals noticed him and alerted “108”. Paramedics who arrived at the scene declared him dead.
The group later tried to destroy evidence, including the knife and their blood-stained clothes. Police have recovered the car used in the crime, along with other material evidence.
“This was a heinous crime committed by a group of youths,” inspector K Dhanunjay said, adding that swift investigation led to the arrest of the accused.