- A 60-year-old man in Telangana's Khammam allegedly killed his son over a property dispute
- The accused wanted to sell the family home to support his alcohol addiction
- He attacked his son with a grinding stone after getting him intoxicated
Desperate to sell the family home for money, allegedly to support his alcohol addiction, a 60-year-old man in Telangana's Khammam district is accused of killing his 35-year-old son who stood in the way of the sale.
The accused, Kothapalli Seetharamulu alias John Mark, was arrested on Monday in connection with the murder of his son, Kiran Kumar, who is survived by his wife, Vijaya Lakshmi, and their two children.
According to police, Seetharamulu had been trying to sell the family's house. However, his wife and son strongly objected to the move. Investigators said the accused repeatedly asked Kiran to leave the house, but when he refused, Seetharamulu allegedly decided to kill him so that he could sell the property without opposition.
"He (Seetharamulu) recently wanted to sell the family house to get money, but his wife and son, Kiran Kumar, strongly opposed the plan,'' the police said.
As part of the alleged plan, Seetharamulu took Kiran to a local liquor shop on the evening of July 3, where the two consumed alcohol. After returning home, Kiran fell into a deep sleep due to intoxication, police said.
Investigators alleged that Seetharamulu then attacked his son on the head with a grinding stone. Believing Kiran had died, he fled the house in his auto-rickshaw.
Kiran was later found by family members and rushed to a hospital, where he died during treatment, police said.
Following the incident, Seetharamulu allegedly escaped to Andhra Pradesh to evade arrest. Acting on reliable information, a police team intercepted his auto-rickshaw on Monday morning and took him into custody.
During questioning, the accused allegedly confessed to the crime, police said.
Officers also seized the auto-rickshaw, the grinding stone suspected to have been used in the attack, and a knife in the presence of mediators.
Police said Vijaya Lakshmi, Kiran's wife, who was present after the incident, lodged a complaint in the case.
Circle Inspector Muthulingam said the investigation found that the murder was allegedly planned over a family property dispute. He added that police tracked the suspect across state borders and arrested him before he could escape further.
The accused was produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Further investigation is underway.
