Lured for ‘Peace Talks’, Bludgeoned with a Cricket Bat: 3 Arrested for Murder in AP
Sri Sathya Sai District, April 10, 2026 — The Lepakshi police in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district arrested a 34-year-old man and his two accomplices on Friday for the gruesome, premeditated murder of his brother-in-law. The accused brutally killed the victim with a cricket bat and dumped his body into the Handri Neeva canal to destroy evidence.
The Motive: Domestic Feud and Humiliation
According to Hindupur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) K Mahesh, the prime accused has been identified as S Raju, a resident of M. Venkatapuram village situated in the Lepakshi mandal. The other two suspects taken into custody are his friends, 24-year-old KN Shreyas and 22-year-old S Venugopal.
The victim, M Vinay Kumar, was a resident of Bengaluru who had married Raju’s sister, S Meghana, approximately a year ago.
Police investigations revealed that the horrific crime was rooted in a severe domestic dispute. Over time, Vinay reportedly began suspecting his wife’s fidelity. He allegedly humiliated both Meghana and her brother, Raju, on multiple occasions. Enraged by the continuous harassment and humiliation leveled against his sister and himself, Raju hatched a conspiracy with his friends to eliminate his brother-in-law.
Lured to Death
The plot was executed on the night of April 4. Raju lured Vinay to Venkatapuram under the false pretext of holding talks to resolve their family issues.
Once Vinay arrived, the trio cornered him near the Handri Neeva canal. They then launched a vicious attack, bludgeoning him to death with a cricket bat. To hide their crime, the accused threw Vinay’s body as well as his motorcycle directly into the canal before fleeing back to their village.
The crime came to light two days later when local residents spotted Vinay’s body floating in the canal waters and alerted the authorities. The local police registered a case, and a subsequent postmortem examination officially confirmed that the death was a homicide.
Arrest and Scene Reconstruction
Following a thorough investigation, the police successfully tracked down and arrested Raju and his two aides from the outskirts of Venkatapuram.
During the arrest, authorities seized several items connected to the accused, including an SUV, two motorcycles, and three mobile phones. The police have also taken the three suspects back to the crime spot near the canal for a formal scene reconstruction as part of the ongoing criminal proceedings.