Two arrested for honour killing in Hyderabad

Police on Thursday arrested two persons for the murder of a 25-year-old man, who had an inter-faith marriage recently.

Billapuram Nagaraju was hacked to death in Hyderabad on Wednesday night in front of his wife, who belonged to another community.

Announcing a breakthrough in the case within 24 hours, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said Ashrin Sultana's brother Syed Mobin Ahmed and brother-in-law Mohammed Masood Ahmed have been arrested.

Nagaraju, who was going with his wife on a motorbike, was waylaid and attacked by the duo near the GHMC office under the Saroornagar police station.

Nagaraju, who was working as a salesman in a car showroom, died on the spot after the attackers hit him with iron rods and stabbed him. The visuals of the brutal murder were recorded on CCTV in the area.

Sultana alleged that her brother and others attacked Nagaraju even as she pleaded with them to leave him.

Nagaraju, belonging to the Scheduled Caste and a resident of Marpally village in Vikarabad district, and Sultana of neighbouring village Ghanapur been in love for the last seven years. They were classmates in school and college. However, Sultana's family was opposed to the alliance and they warned her against continuing the relationship.

The girl eloped with Nagaraju on January 30, 2022, and the next day they married in an Arya Samaj temple in the Lal Darwaza area. The girl had changed her name to Pallavi.

According to police, the girl's family had filed a missing person complaint in Balanagar police station on February 1.

Sensing a threat to their lives, the couple had left for Visakhapatnam. According to Nagaraju's parents, they had come back to Hyderabad five days ago and were staying in Panjala Anil Kumar colony in Saroornagar.

On Thursday night, Mobin and Masood followed Nagaraju who was proceeding on his bike with Sultana. After forcing Nagaraju to stop his bike, Mobin attacked him with an iron rod. After hitting the deceased on his head with the iron rod, Mobin took out a knife and handed over the iron rod to Masood. Police said Mobin stabbed Nagaraju who was lying on the ground while Masood hit him on his head with an iron rod. After confirming that Nagaraju was dead, the accused fled from the scene.

The police officer said Mobin had developed a grudge against the deceased as he had married his sister and planned the murder along with Masood.

The accused were produced before a court, which sent them to judicial custody.