KHAMMAM: What began as a routine missing person’s case has turned into a tale of premeditated murder. The Khammam Rural police have arrested three individuals, including a woman, for the killing of Gatla Venkateshwarlu. Investigations revealed that the crime was meticulously planned, with the prime accused, Parimi Ashok, allegedly turning to YouTube to learn how to dismember a body before carrying out the act to rob the victim and clear his mounting debts.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Khammam Rural ACP B Tirupathi Reddy said that Ashok (36), a native of Chityala village in Vatsavai mandal of NTR district, Andhra Pradesh, had completed his M.Pharmacy course and worked in private firms after losing both parents to illness a few years ago. However, his income was insufficient to sustain his extravagant lifestyle. Hoping to turn his fortunes around, he ventured into banana cultivation, borrowing heavily to fund it — only to suffer major losses that plunged him deeper into debt.
During this period, Ashok became acquainted with Kommu Nagma, who worked as an assistant at a private hospital in Khammam. Their friendship developed into an affair. Around the same time, Ashok met Gatla Venkateshwarlu, also known as Venkat, at the Khammam Library. Venkat, who hailed from Kamepalli village and lived in Hyderabad, was financially well-off.
Ashok also befriended Penti Krishna, a farmer who worked in drip irrigation. As his financial situation worsened, Ashok conspired with Nagma and Krishna to kill Venkat for his gold and cash. Krishna reportedly asked Ashok how one could kill a person easily, to which Ashok replied that slitting the throat would ensure a quick death without much noise.
He then searched YouTube for videos on how to kill and dismember a body and purchased knives for the purpose, the ACP added.
On the night of September 15, Venkat visited Ashok’s rented room and stayed overnight. In the early hours of September 16, while Nagma kept watch outside, Ashok attacked Venkat as he slept — slitting his throat and stabbing him repeatedly in the head and torso. He then dismembered the body and wrapped the pieces in a blanket. The remains were transported on a motorcycle and dumped in garbage bins in the Karunagiri area. The trio later cleaned the bloodstains from the room to conceal the crime.
When Venkat’s brother, Konda Yadagiri, lodged a missing person complaint, police began a search. Using advanced technical tools, they soon uncovered evidence of the murder and arrested Ashok, Nagma, and Krishna.
Police recovered a motorbike, a 2.7-tola gold chain stolen from the victim, four mobile phones, and two knives used in the murder.
