Recces, phone calls, fake client ruse: Five, including wife, held for Gadwal man’s murder

A 32-year-old private land surveyor from Gadwal was found murdered in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district, 30 days after his wedding. The body was recovered over 200 kilometres from his hometown, near the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) canal on June 21. The Gadwal police have detained five suspects, including his wife, Iswarya, a native of Kurnool, in what the police said was a premeditated murder linked to an affair.

The case resembles the recent Meghalaya honeymoon murder, in which an Indore-based newlywed Raja Raghuvanshi was killed by his wife and her lover during the couple’s honeymoon in the East Khasi Hills.

The victim in the Gadwal case, Tejeswar, who is also a dance teacher, stepped out for work on June 17 but did not return home, prompting his brother to file a missing person complaint on June 18.  After tracking the mobile location, the body was found near the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) canal.

Gadwal Town Sub Inspector of Police Kummari Srinivas, who is investigating the case, said the murder was premeditated and appears to be linked to Iswarya’s alleged affair with Tirumala Rao, a manager at a non-banking finance company in Gadwal. The two were allegedly involved for the past three years, despite Mr. Rao being married for the last six years.

CCTV footage showed Tejeswar getting into a sedan with three occupants, all contract killers hired by Mr. Rao. The men claimed that a land parcel near Erravalli needed a survey. Unaware of their intentions, he joined them.

“The vehicle drove towards Erravalli and stopped at Veerapuram stage, off the national highway (NH) 44. There, the assailants attacked him with a knife and suffocated him by sitting on his neck. His body was later dumped over 100 kilometres away near the HNSS canal,” the official explained.

Meticulous planning

The official said that the murder was the result of meticulous planning that spanned nearly three months. “The hired killers had been conducting repeated reccees along the route from Kurnool to Gadwal, closely studying the victim’s movements and familiarising themselves with possible escape paths. Mobile phone records have revealed frequent communication between the accused, all pointing that the suspects carefully planning each stage of the crime,” the official explained.

The wedding between Tejeswar and Iswarya was originally scheduled for January 10 but was called off by the victim’s family based on some suspicion. However, Iswarya later persuaded Tejeswar, and the two tied the knot on May 18.

“This change of plans could be a part of the larger manipulation, as the timeline suggests that planning for the murder began shortly after the couple reunited,” the official said.

Further investigation is underway.