Hyderabad:
Nearly seven years after a retired railway employee was poisoned, dismembered, and stuffed into plastic buckets inside his Hyderabad residence, a Malkajgiri court has awarded the death penalty to the victim’s son and daughter, and life imprisonment to his wife.
The Principal District and Sessions Court, Malkajgiri, convicted Kishan Suthar (alias Rahul), Ganga Bai, and Prapulla (alias Pappi) for the murder of 70-year-old Maruthi Suthar, a retired railway goods train driver.
The murder came to light on August 18, 2019, when neighbours reported a foul smell emanating from a house in the RTC Colony of the Moula Ali locality. Upon investigating, police discovered Maruthi Suthar’s body parts stored in six to seven plastic buckets inside the residence.
While the initial investigation suggested the son acted alone, further inquiries revealed the involvement of his sister and mother. Ultimately, the court awarded capital punishment to the son and sister, while the mother was sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the prosecution, Maruthi Suthar had taken voluntary retirement from the Railways on medical grounds and was receiving a monthly pension of approximately Rs 30,000. Investigators established that his wife, unemployed son, and daughter were entirely dependent on this pension and conspired to eliminate him to gain full control over his retirement benefits.
Police revealed that the trio researched methods of killing and procured a poisonous substance, which they mixed into the victim’s food over a two-day period. Following his death, the accused purchased plastic buckets, dismembered the body, and stored the remains inside the house while planning to dispose of them secretly.
Investigators also uncovered digital evidence showing that the accused had searched online and watched videos on “painless” killing methods before committing the crime.
“Police officials credited a sustained investigation, forensic evidence, and persistent prosecution for securing the conviction,” said B. Sumathi, Commissioner of the Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate.
She praised the police team for securing the sentences, adding that the “verdict reflects the painstaking investigation carried out by the Malkajgiri Police and the dedicated efforts of the prosecution team”.
