Telangana teen arrested for triple murder

Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) Police in Telangana's Nizamabad district have arrested a 19-year-old teenager for a triple murder that took place last week.

Gandham Srikanth alias Ranampalli Mallanna, who was recently released from jail, allegedly murdered three men who were asleep at a workshop in Dichpally on the intervening night of December 7 and 8.

Nizamabad Police Commissioner Kartikeya said after murdering the trio with a hammer, Srikanth fled with their mobile phones and money.

The victims were identified as Harpal Singh (32) and Joginderr Singh (45), harvester mechanics from Punjab, and Banoth Sunil, a crane operator from Sangareddy district.

The police cracked the case after questioning known criminals in Nizamabad. During a raid on Srikanth's house, a shirt covered in blood was recovered. When he was questioned by the police, the accused confessed to the crime.

The Police Commissioner, after a visit to the crime scene, had formed three teams to apprehend the offender. Besides checking the list of previous offenders and also those released from jails recently, the investigators worked on other clues including CCTV footage in surrounding areas.

The accused, who was also using one of the stolen mobile phones with his SIM card, told the police that he committed the crime in an inebriated condition.

He entered the workshop with an intention to steal money and found three persons sleeping. He killed Sunil with a hammer and took away his mobile. He then went into another portion of the workshop where Harpal and Joginder sleeping.

He also killed them with the same hammer and escaped with their mobile phones and cash.

According to police, Srikanth, a rag picker, was a habitual property offender since childhood and was involved in eight offences.

He had attacked a temple watchman and stole a hundi. In this case, he was sent to a special home for boys in Hyderabad for three years and was released this October.