Watched crime videos online, then killed 4 relatives; Telangana man arrested

The murder of four members of a family in Telangana's Nalgonda district was allegedly carried out by a close relative who planned the crime after watching videos online, police said. Four people, including the prime accused, have been arrested in the case.

Police said the killings were driven by money, gold ornaments and a desire for revenge. The crime came to light on June 22 after neighbours complained about a foul smell coming from the victims' house in Nalgonda.

According to police, the main accused, Syed Aslam, a car driver living in Hyderabad, was under financial strain because of his lavish lifestyle and loans. He had earlier borrowed Rs 1 lakh from his wife's aunt, Haseena.

Police said Haseena, who was married for the third time, lived with her husband and his children from an earlier marriage. Aslam had recently asked her for another Rs 1 lakh to buy a new car, but she refused and mocked him for not paying interest on the earlier amount.

Police said Aslam's wife, Tabassum, also held a grudge against Haseena because Tabassum's first husband had earlier filed a police complaint against Tabassum's mother. Investigators alleged that Tabassum encouraged Aslam to target Haseena's house for theft.

Driven by financial reasons and personal anger, Aslam watched videos online on how to commit the crime, police said.

As per the police release, Aslam went to Haseena's house in the early hours of June 19 and stabbed her to death. He then attacked Haseena's husband and his two children, aged 20 and 12. Police said the 12-year-old girl had hidden under a cot, but Aslam killed her as well to eliminate witnesses. He then stole gold ornaments, land documents and bank papers from the house and fled.

Police said Aslam later pledged the stolen valuables with a jeweller in Hyderabad for Rs 5.30 lakh with the help of a friend. Along with Aslam, police arrested his wife, the friend who allegedly helped him mortgage the valuables, and the jeweller. The case, police said, involved a planned attack linked to financial trouble, theft and personal enmity.

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