Hyderabad Man Seeks Lift From 4, Later Killed Over Spilt Chutney At Eatery

A 45-year-old painter was brutally murdered by three men and a teenager in Hyderabad's Nacharam area following a trivial argument over spilled chutney. The victim, Murali Krishna, was allegedly tortured for two hours before being stabbed to death.

The police have apprehended four accused, identified as Mohammed Junaid (18), Shaik Saifuddin (18), P Manikanta (21), and a 16-year-old minor.

The horrifying sequence of events began late Monday night after Murali Krishna, a resident of Uppal's Kalyanpuri, sought a lift home near LB Nagar. He was picked up by the three men and a teenager, who were cruising in a car, reportedly a Swift Dzire.

The group stopped for a late-night snack at a mobile tiffin centre near National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). While eating, chutney from Murali Krishna's plate accidentally spilled onto one of the men's clothes. An immediate argument erupted, escalating when Murali Krishna allegedly used abusive language.

The enraged men reportedly forced Murali Krishna back into the car. Over the next two hours, they drove around, repeatedly assaulting him with fists and burning him with cigarettes while interrogating him on how he dared to spill chutney on them.

In the early hours of the morning, they drove to an isolated spot in the Nacharam industrial area. One of the accused, Junaid, allegedly pulled out a knife and began stabbing Murali Krishna multiple times. Despite his injuries, the victim managed to open the car door and jumped out, attempting to run for his life.

The assailants are said to have chased him down and ensured he was dead before fleeing the scene. The victim collapsed on the road, approximately 200 meters from the car.

Passersby discovered the body around 5:40 am and alerted the local police. Using the CCTV footage from various locations and cell phone signal data, multiple police teams were formed to track the culprits.

The accused were apprehended on Tuesday from Moula Ali. Upon their confession, the police recovered the car and the murder weapon. The three adults have been remanded to judicial custody in Chanchalguda prison, while the minor has been sent to a juvenile home.