Police said Gouri Shankar allegedly conspired with his wife and her brother to eliminate Lakshmana.
ELURU: Police have arrested a husband and wife accused of masterminding the murder of Thumula Lakshmana, 37, under Bhimadolu police station limits. Bhimadolu Circle Inspector P.
Krishna arrested Mamidi Gouri Shankar and his wife, Mamidi Lakshmi Durga, on Thursday.According to the police investigation, Lakshmana, a native of Ramabhadrapuram village in Vizianagaram district, had allegedly been in an extramarital relationship with Lakshmi Durga, who hailed from the same village. Disputes reportedly arose between Lakshmi Durga and her husband over the relationship, following which she moved to her parents’ house.Police said Gouri Shankar allegedly conspired with his wife and her brother, Varri Narasimha, to eliminate Lakshmana. The investigation revealed that the accused had allegedly paid supari to others to execute the murder.Investigators also found that Gouri Shankar had transferred a total of Rs 1.79 lakh to various bank accounts on the instructions of his brother-in-law, Narasimha. Police are examining the transactions as part of the investigation.
As part of the alleged plan, Lakshmana was called over the phone to Polasanipalli village in Bhimadolu mandal on the night of September 19. He was allegedly taken to the Dalamma–Dalappa pond, where he was served liquor and beaten to death with an iron rod, police said.The accused allegedly transported the body on a motorcycle and dumped it in the Polavaram canal near Pangidigudem bridge in an attempt to destroy evidence.The body was found in the canal near Pedavegi on September 21. Pedavegi police initially registered a case after treating it as an unidentified body. Subsequent investigation established the deceased’s identity as Thumula Lakshmana, following which the case was transferred to Bhimadolu police station.Narasimha was arrested on October 8. Dwarapureddy Ganesh and Doddani Suresh Kumar, who allegedly assisted in the murder, were also arrested, while a juvenile allegedly involved in the crime was taken into custody.
With the arrests of Gouri Shankar and Lakshmi Durga on Thursday, police said the investigation into the murder had made further progress.