Sons & grandson held for elderly couple’s murder

Kazipet: The police have arrested four persons in connection with the murder of an elderly couple at Somidi in Kazipet on Jan 1 mid-night. It might be recalled that Sunchu Ellaiah (70) and his second wife Pullamma (50) were found slaughtered to death at their residence on January 2. The arrested were identified as Eallaiah’s elder son Ramesh, second son Srinivas and third son Tirupathi and his grandson Ashish (Srinivas’ son).

Kazipet Circle Inspector Ch Ajay informed the presspersons that the accused have confessed to their crime during interrogation. The main accused were said to be Srinivas and his son Ashish. It was said that Ellaiah, a retired railway employee got Rs 24 lakhs after selling his 20 guntas of agriculture land some time back.

He gave Rs 6 lakh each to his three sons and kept Rs 6 lakhs with him. The sons have demanded their father to share out the amount he kept with him. As their father remained unyielding they developed a grudge and planned to eliminate him. A few days before the murder, Srinivas was said to have threatened his father to kill him, the police said adding the murder was committed by Ashish with the help of the deceased persons’ sons.

On the night of murder, Ashish offered a fruit juice mixed with alcohol to his grandfather and while he was asleep murdered him and later slit the throat of his grandmother. The police recovered five tulas of gold ornaments and the knife used in the murder from Ashish.

A case in connection with the incident was booked based on a complaint by Pullamma’s brother S Saraiah. The accused were sent to judicial remand, the circle inspector informed.