Two women, youth held for ‘murdering’ moneylender in Prakasam district

The Prakasam police on Thursday arrested two women and a youth on the charge of murdering a 54-year-old woman moneylender at Singarayakonda village. The police recovered gold and other valuables worth ₹3 lakh, which they had allegedly stolen from the house of the victim.

According to the police, N. Mamata, her son N. Manikanta and M. Madhuri, all residents of Buchirajupalem in Tanguturu mandal, allegedly murdered Ch. Subbayamma, a money lender, on August 23 night.

Mamata and Madhuri, who were struggling financially, had borrowed ₹80,000 and ₹50,000 respectively from Subbayamma for their daughters’ weddings. They used to repay daily ₹850 and ₹600 respectively to Subbayamma, who reportedly pestered them to celar the loans.

With both unable to repay their daily instalments, Subbayamma started threatening them.

At around 6 pm on August 23, Subbayamma reportedly called Mamata and asked her to bring jaggery pudding (payasam) with her.

Mamata allegedly prepared jaggery pudding and laced it with pills, which Madhuri was taking for insomnia and abdominal pain. Both went to Subbayamma’s house and gave the dessert to her.

With Subbayamma falling asleep a while after consuming the pudding, Mamata allegedly called her son Manikanta to the moneylender’s house. Manikanta entered the house by jumping over the wall. He allegedly smothered Subbayamma with a pillow to death, as Mamata and Madhavi held her hands and legs tightly. After Subbayamma died, they allegedly fled with her gold ornaments, cash, mobile phone and ATM card.

A team comprising Ongole DSP R. Srinivasa Rao, Singarayakonda CI Ch, Hazarathiah and Singarayakonda SI B. Mahendra and their staff investigated the case.

The police arrested the accused at Jarugumalli Adda Road on NH-16 when the later were going to their village on Thursday.

Prakasam District Superintendent of Police A.R Damodar lauded the police team for solving the case within days.