Telangana Auto-Rickshaw Driver’s Death Was ‘Planned Murder For Insurance Money’;

Khammam, March 9: A week after the death of an auto-rickshaw driver in what initially seemed to be a road accident in Khammam district of Telangana, Police on Sunday revealed that the victim was deliberately run over by a vehicle as part of murder plan hatched by none other than his wife to claim insurance money.

Disclosing the case details, Khammam Rural Circle Inspector Mushkaraju informed that four accused have been arrested in this connection and the victim’s wife was among the main conspirators.

Last week, on the night of March 2, locals noticed an unidentified body lying on Khammam-Kuravi main road near MV Palem in the rural mandal. Members of the Annam Foundation, led by chairman Annam Srinivasa Rao, informed the police who rushed to the spot and shifted the body to the government hospital for post mortem.

The deceased was identified as Chaganti Ravi, 42, a resident of Gandhinagar in Khammam city.

When relatives learned about his death, they grew suspicious and approached the police, expressing doubts over the circumstances which led to the tragedy. Filing a police complaint, they specifically raised suspicion over Ravi’s wife, Chaganti Prashanthi, and a relative Srinivas, who had been missing since the incident.

Police revealed Prashanthi was under the impression that her husband would soon die due to his lifestyle and illness. Anticipating this, she had taken out insurance policies in his name. When he did not die even after a year, she allegedly hatched a plan with Srinivas to kill him and stage the death as a road accident.

According to the police, on March 2, Srinivas took Ravi in his auto-rickshaw, made him drink heavily, and left him on the outskirts of MV Palem in Khammam Rural mandal. As part of the plan, one Jogi Rajkumar allegedly drove a car belonging to Jogi Venkatesh at high speed and rammed Ravi from behind, killing him on the spot. Another accused, Jogi Rambabu from Chilukkayalapadu, is said to have assisted in carrying out the crime.

CI Mushkaraju said that four accused have already been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. “Victim’s wife Prashanthi will be taken into custody soon for a detailed interrogation. Further investigation is underway to examine the insurance policies and other aspects related to the conspiracy,” the official added.