The girl’s father allegedly killed Muniraju with lethal weapons and absconded, police said. His body was found in an agricultural field.

Muniraju, an auto driver, was the son of Muddappa, a cook at Gabbadi. Muniraju fell in love with Shruthi, 16, a Class X student and daughter of Mallappa, a farmer in the same village, a year ago.

Though both belonged to the same caste, Mallappa was opposed to the affair. He warned Muniraju to stay away from his daughter. However, Muniraju continued to meet her secretly.

Mallappa had even threatened Muddappa with dire consequences if his son continued to meet and speak with Shruthi, police said.

Mallappa allegedly abducted Muniraju on Sunday night and took him to his field near Hoskote.

He and his associates allegedly slit Muniraju’s throat and hacked him with lethal weapons and fled, police said. Muddappa started searching for his son when he failed to return home.

A few residents who found Muniraju’s body in the field on Monday morning, informed Muddappa. In a complaint, Muddappa alleged Mallappa and his associates had murdered his son. Police have launched a search operation.

No arrests in priest’s case

Talaghattapura police have intensified the search for those involved in the murder of Sandeep, the priest of Vinayaka temple at Vinayaka Layout in Kengeri Satellite Town. He was murdered at his house early Sunday morning. The police are yet make any arrests and have not interrogated anyone till now.

Sandeep was in love with Revathi, a resident of Vasanthapur in Subramanyapura police limits. Revathi’s parents opposed the alliance as they belonged to different castes and had even warned Sandeep to stay away from her.

It is suspected that Revathi’s brother Preetham and his friends allegedly barged into Sandeep’s house at Jai Bhuwaneswharinagar and hacked him to death. They also injured Sandeep’s father, mother and sister. Revathi and her family are absconding, police added.
Police have constituted a team to arrest them. The team members are working in Tirupati and Ramakrishnapur near Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh as the suspects are said to be holed up in these two places.

The police collected details regarding their movement from the cellphone service providers. “We will take them into custody in a day or two,” police added.

The involvement of a few students of Oxford College in HSR Layout in hatching the conspiracy is also suspected. The police could not go to the college on Monday due to a holiday.

The police are likely to take a couple of students into custody on Tuesday for interrogation in connection with the murder, said sources in the police department.