Son kidnaps, tortures father for property

Hyderabad: Greed for money makes many stoop down to any extent. In one such case, a retired government teacher abducted his 83-year-old father with the help of a relative and some hired goons, physically harmed the old man to obtain signatures and then confined him illegally for four days.

The senior citizen was, however, rescued by the Suryapet police, after his younger son came to know about the abduction and approached the police. Venkatanarayana, who retired as a government teacher six months ago, went to see his 83-year-old father Ch Ramulu at Velugupally village in Suryapet district, where he lives alone with the assistance of a servant.

A retired teacher himself, Ramulu, lives on his pension and takes care of the agriculture land with help from villagers. He has four children two sons and two daughters all settled as government teachers. Of them, elder son, Venkatanarayana has three daughters and their marriages were performed by Ramulu, said his relative Janaiah.

Yet, Venkatanarayana always wanted more money and property from his father. He used to call him over phone and psychologically harass him demanding money and property, Janaiah told The Hans India. Ramulu had purchased two house sites long back near Hayathnagar.

One of the plots was already given to Venkatanarayana but he sold it away and he wanted the other house site to be transferred in his name besides a share in the monthly pension Ramulu gets from the government, he said.

On March 30, Venkatanarayana, along with his nephew Vijay and a couple of hired men went to Velugupally village. He sweet talked to Ramulu and promised to take him to a good doctor at Suryapet since he was suffering from age-related health issues.

The unsuspecting old man trusted his son and agreed to go with him, Janaiah said. Instead of taking Ramulu to Suryapet, Venkatanarayana headed for Hayathnagar. The old man suddenly saw Kamineni Hospital at LB Nagar and realised that he has been brought to Hyderabad and asked his son why they came to Hyderabad. It was then Venkatanarayana started showing true colours, he said.

His nephew Vijay and two other persons travelling in the car beat him up and threatened to kill. They forced him to sign some documents at the Sub-Registrar’s office in Hayathnagar transferring the house site in his name, police said.

Later, the old man was taken to Suryapet where he was locked in a room and beaten up every day demanding that Rs 30,000 out of the pension be given to him every month. In the meantime, the old man’s younger son, Sriramulu grew impatient when he could not reach the mobile phone of his father for four days. He rushed to Velugupally and came to know through the maidservant that his father was taken by Venkatanarayana, said Janaiah.

Immediately, Sriramulu reached his elder brother’s house in Suryapet only to find his father’s face swollen due to the physical torture meted out to him. “I was shocked to find my father in such a position and called in for police help. A police team rescued my father and we took him back to Velugupally after treatment at a hospital,” Sriramulu told The Hans India.

The victim, Ramulu said, “I am aghast at what my elder son did to me. He locked me in a room and beat me up. He increased the volume of the television to high pitch to prevent my cries for help did not reach the neighbours.”

Meanwhile, Sriramulu met Suryapet DSP, Sunitha, who directed him to meet Thungathurthy police and lodge a complaint. “I met the Circle Inspector D Lakshmi, Thungathurthy, for justice and lodged a complaint,” Sriramulu said. When contacted the accused Venkatanarayana refused to speak. When contacted, DSP Sunitha said that she has directed Thungathurthy police to inquire into the matter and investigation was in progress.

By B G Rajeswar