Online Betting Addicted Telangana Man Kills Elderly Woman For Gold, Arrested

A 26-year-old was arrested for allegedly killing an elderly woman during an attempt to steal her gold jewellery in a village in Telangana's Khammam district, with police suspecting that financial distress linked to online betting and drinking habit may have driven him to the crime.

The accused has been identified as Aithanaboyina Prashanth (26), who ran a chicken shop, had allegedly become addicted to online betting and drinking and was facing mounting financial problems.

Police suspect that he targeted Suguna, an elderly woman who lived near his shop, because she was wearing gold ornaments.

According to the investigation, on the intervening night of July 17, Prashanth allegedly entered Suguna's house intending to steal her jewellery. When the woman resisted and raised an alarm, he allegedly attacked her with an iron rod that he had brought with him.

The accused allegedly removed a gold chain and gold beads from the victim's black-beads necklace before fleeing the scene.

Police revealed that after the crime, Prashanth handed the stolen gold chain to his brother-in-law, Saraganda Mahesh (20), of Balinidharmaram village in Mahabubabad district.

Mahesh allegedly pledged the chain at a bank in Khammam using his own name and obtained a loan of approximately Rs 1.50 lakh.

The recovery and tracing of the jewellery helped investigators establish the alleged involvement of the two men and arrested Prashanth and Mahesh on the morning of August 9 while conducting an investigation along the Thirumalayapalem Road.

While Prashanth is being treated as the alleged prime accused, Mahesh is accused of assisting in disposing of the stolen jewellery.

The police are examining the accused's financial circumstances, alleged betting activity and the events surrounding the murder while the investigation is continuing.