New twist in Jayaram murder

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police has intensified their probe into the murder of NRI industrialist Chigurupati Jayaram. With the evidences collected by them at the spot and in Hyderabad, the police came to a conclusion that one Rakesh Reddy is allegedly behind the murder. But police yet to confirm this.  

The 55-year-old Jayaram was murdered on January 31. His body was found in the back seat of his car, which was left parked on the highway side at Ithavaram village. With several head injuries and no damage to the car, the murder raised several suspicions.

Ten police teams have been working on the case and financial aspects seem to be the motive behind the murder.  During the interrogation of Jayaram’s niece Shikha Chowdary, many things came to light. The police intensified the investigation to bring a clarity in the case. 

According to Krishna SP Tripathi, till now they have interrogated Shikha Chowdary, her boyfriend Rakesh Reddy and her another friend Srikanth. During the interrogation, it was found that Rakesh Reddy alleged to have been behind the murder. Rakesh Reddy is being interrogated at a guest house in Chillakallu. 

During the interrogation, Shikha denied any role in the killing of her maternal uncle Jayaram. According to the police, she has not only disclosed personal matters of her and Jayaram but also explained their financial dealings which might have led to the killing of Jayaram.

Shikha alleged that Jayaram’s character and behaviour towards her and her sister was not good, and he has sexually exploited her. She revealed that she had married twice and took divorce from both of them.

She said she was dating Rakesh Reddy, who used to finance the film personalities and other businessman. She said due to Rakesh Reddy her second marriage collapsed and after taking divorce from her second husband she was planning to marry Rakesh Reddy. 

Meanwhile, she accepted that she only introduced Rakesh Reddy to Jayaram. When Jayaram was facing financial crunch due to the disputes with his wife, he had faced a lot of problems financially. Jayaram took Rs 4.5 crore as loan on interest from Rakesh Reddy.

When he was unable to pay in time, many a time disputes occurred between she and Rakesh. Her uncle Jayaram did not want to continue relations with Rakesh. Several times Rakesh and Jayaram fought on the issue of continuation of her relations with Rakesh. 

She told the police that she had never expected Rakesh would take the extreme step and kill Jayaram. She said on the fateful day she went on a long drive to Vikarabad with wine-shop owner Srikanth, whom she has been dating now.

When she came to know that Jayaram died in an accident on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway from her mother, she immediately rushed to Jayaram’s house along with Srikanth and searched for the documents of 10 acres land at Jaggayyapet registered in her name.  

Based on her disclosure, the police found two reasons -- one is financial dispute of Rs 4.5 crore with Rakesh and Rakesh’s relations with Shikha. Jayaram objected to her marriage with Rakesh Reddy. 

The police is also interrogating Ramu, the vehicle driver of Shikha and another woman and two other persons in connection with the case. 
Statement of wife Padmasree A three-member team of Nandigama police quizzed Padmasree, wife of the deceased Jayaram, and recorded her statement in the presence of legal advocates. 

According to Vivek Reddy, the legal adviser to Jayaram’s company, she was in deep shock and worried about her two children security. In her statement, Padmasree stated that she is not suspecting anybody and requested for security to her and her two children.

She told the police that she is living with her two children in the US and did not have any knowledge or information about her husband’s businesses in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and his relations with others in India. 

She urged the police to do thorough investigation and punish the culprits. Family members and hundreds of employees belonging to pharma, bank and industrial fraternity participated in the funeral of Jayaram in Jubilee Hills Mahaprasthanam on Sunday.