Nandyal: Nandyal SP Sunil KumarSheoran announced the arrest of four accused involved in the murder of Medari Pullaiah (65), a resident of VC Colony, Nandyal.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the SP said the case originated from a man-missing complaint lodged by the victim’s son, Chintala Aditya Prasad (32), a resident of Bengaluru, at Nandyal 3 Town Police Station on November 19. The complainant reported that his father had been untraceable since November 15 and that two DVRs connected to CCTV cameras from their agricultural land and his father’s motorcycle were also missing. A missing case under Cr.No.163/2025 was subsequently registered.

SP Sheoran stated that during the investigation, police traced an unidentified body floating in the Kundu river near the Tellapuri–Banaganapalle road on November 29. The deceased bore serious head injuries and a skull fracture. The body was later identified as that of Pullaiah by his son. Following this, the case was altered into a murder investigation, and special police teams intensified efforts to trace the culprits.

Based on technical evidence and credible information, the police arrested four accused: Bhojanala Dhanunjaya (35), Gangadhara Raghava (33), Besta Srikanth (22) and Katepogu Santosh (20). The SP revealed that Dhanunjaya, who became acquainted with the victim 18 months ago during a property transaction, planned to eliminate him to seize his assets. On November 14 night, the accused lured the victim in a rented Bolero vehicle towards Bhogeswaram in Gadivemula mandal, demanded Rs 25 lakh, and when he refused, strangled him with a rope, assaulted him, and hit him on the head with a knife handle, causing his death. They later disposed of the body in the Kundu river near Madduru village and looted DVR units, documents, and a laptop from the victim’s residence.

SP Sheoran said the police recovered a knife, two DVRs, a laptop, and several documents from the possession of the accused. He cautioned the public to be vigilant while dealing with unknown persons and avoid sharing sensitive personal or property-related information. “If anyone senses suspicious activity or faces threats, they should immediately inform the police,” he added, assuring strict action against criminal elements in the district.