Police suspect financial dispute behind doctor’s murder

Police said the murder should have been committed on Friday night or during the early hours on Saturday.

The killers seem to have assaulted Reddy after tying him down and later slit his throat. Special teams have been formed to investigate the case. “We have just started the investigation and details are yet to emerge. 

We have taken evidences from the area and are now collecting CCTV footage from nearby areas and buildings,” a senior police official said. 

The city had witnessed a series of murders last year. On November 3, 2016, Lakshmi Sudha, a 58-year-old advocate, was found dead with stab injuries in her house in T Nagar. The murder came to light after Lakshmi’s sister Vijaya, who stays in nearby, had been trying to reach her over phone but she did not get any reply. On November 2, Vijaya went to Sudha’s house and found a packet of food lying outside. She also found the front door locked from inside. Sensing that something was amiss, Vijaya alerted the Kumaran Nagar police. 

A team of officials rushed to the spot and broke open the door only to find the partially decomposed body of Lakshmi on the bed. 

On November 1, 2016, a 65-year-old spinster was found tied up and gagged to death at her house at Pulla Avenue in the same locality. 

The victim, P Shanthi, was aided in her daily routine by her uncle Somasundaram and his son Ramesh. 

Police said Ramesh made frequent visits to Shanthi’s house and helped her out with her daily needs. 

Ramesh had called up Shanthi at night on October 30, but the mobile phone went unanswered. He again tried to reach her on the landline number the next morning but again failed to get any response. Growing suspicious, Ramesh went to the house but found the metal gate of the independent house and the main door unlocked. When he went inside, he found Shanthi lying dead with injuries and with her legs and hands tied up. There were also signs of strangulation. Police suspect the murderer had used a screwdriver to stab Shanthi on the head and that there were signs of a struggle. Shanthi also had a deep cut on her head, police said.