Eluru Cyanide Serial Murders: Court Convicts Two Accused, Awards Life Imprisonment to Prime Culprit
In a significant verdict, the Eluru Eighth Additional District and Sessions Magistrate on Friday delivered convictions in the chilling cyanide serial murders case that claimed the lives of 10 individuals. The court pronounced the prime accused, Vellanki Simhadri alias Siva, guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with an additional 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹6,000. The second accused, Sk Ameenullah Babu alias Babu, was handed a sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹2,000.
Modus Operandi: Duping Victims with Fake Prasadam Laced with Cyanide
According to police investigations, Vellanki Simhadri, who was addicted to vices and maintained a lavish lifestyle, devised a sinister scheme to earn money illegally. He duped people by promising to double their investments through rice-pulling coins and colour stones under the guise of his real estate business. Simhadri would develop acquaintances with strangers, persuade them to bring money, and then offer them prasadam laced with cyanide, which he procured from the second accused, Sk Ameenullah.
The accused tailored his approach based on the victims' religious backgrounds: he offered the cyanide-laced substance as Tirupati prasadam to Hindu victims and as Jerusalem prasadam to Christian victims. After the victims consumed the poisoned prasadam and were killed, Simhadri would collect the money they had brought and flee with the cash and ornaments, which police later recovered and seized.
Investigation and Key Breakthroughs
The case was registered under Sections 302 (murder) and 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code at the Eluru III Town Police Station. The investigation gained momentum following a complaint lodged by the family members of Kati Nagaraju, a PET hailing from Madepalle under the Eluru III Town Police Station limits, who was murdered by the accused in 2019 after being given duplicate Jerusalem prasadam laced with cyanide. Police picked up the two accused on suspicion, and during the probe, uncovered the gruesome details of the serial murders.
Then DSP O Dileep Kiran, who led the investigation, filed a charge sheet before the Magistrate, detailing the evidence and testimonies that linked the accused to the crimes.
Police Commendation and Rewards
On the occasion of the conviction, Eluru Superintendent of Police (SP) K Pratap Siva Kishore commended the efforts of the police team involved in the case. He specifically praised the court monitoring cell in-charges, additional SP (admin) N Surya Chandra Rao, CI M Subbarao, and other police personnel for their diligent work in ensuring that the accused were sentenced to jail. The SP announced rewards for the police personnel and also appreciated IO Kiran Kumar and the special public prosecutor for their roles in securing the conviction.
This verdict marks a crucial step towards justice for the victims and their families, highlighting the effectiveness of the investigative and judicial processes in tackling heinous crimes.
