Hyderabad: A day after contractor G. Hanumanthu went missing, his body was found in his vehicle near IDA Bolarum on Friday. Hanumanthu, 40, was a resident of Bolarum. He shifted to Bolarum along with the family about five years ago from Ramannapet in Warangal district.
 
Police suspects that he might have been strangled before his body was left in the vehicle as they found strangulation marks on his neck. “He was first strangled and his body was placed in the vehicle, just to give a false impression that it was a road accident,” said Bolarum police inspector G. Srinivas.
 
According to Srinivas, Hanumanthu informed his wife at about 6 pm on Thursday that he would be going to check a construction site in Siddipet. When she called him on his cellphone at about 8 pm there was no answer.
 
On Friday at about 6 am, locals found his body in the vehicle and informed the police. 
 
Based on a complaint lodged by the family, a murder case has been registered. In their complaint, Hanumanthu’s family members have named some people as suspects who, they said, had a tiff with him recently in connection with construction contracts.
 

Next: Woman robbed of her chain
 
Woman robbed of her chain
 
Bengaluru: A 56-year-old woman was robbed of her chain worth Rs 2.4 lakh in Byappanahalli police limits on Friday morning. Police said the victim, Prakadeshwari, a resident of Kaggadasapura, was returning home from the Om Shakthi Temple.
 
While she was walking on the 13th cross near her house, a bike-borne miscreant came from behind, snatched her chain and fled. Further investigations are on.
 
Next: Vehicle-lifting gang busted
 
Vehicle-lifting gang busted
 
Kochi: The special branch police on Friday busted a big gang of vehicle-lifters in the city, arresting eight youngsters and recovering 11 high-end motor bikes from their custody.
 
Four of those arrested allegedly lifted the two-wheelers while the other four used and traded the bikes.The arrested were identified as Anees (18) of Chitethkara near Kakkanad, Nooruddeen (19) of Nilampathinhamugal near Kakkanad, Niyas (22) of Vennala, Mohammed Thabsheer (20) of Baladukka in Kasargod district, K.G. Bijoy (32) of Amaravathy in Idukky district, Rinshad (22) of Thrikkakara, Shihab (23) of Otappalam in Palakkad district and Salam of Kakkanad. Another youngster, Aji of Palakkad, who sold the bikes at Coimbatore, is yet to be arrested.
 
According to police, Anees, Nooruddeen, Niyas and Thabsheer were the ones who lifted the two-wheelers from different parts of Ernakulam district. 
 
The others knew that the bikes were stolen, but used them and sold them. “The gang became vehicle-lifters as they wanted to lead luxurious lives. Anees and Nooruddeen were the ones who fell into our net first. 
 
They were arrested when they were roaming in the city on a stolen two-wheeler in a bid to lift another bike. Six others were arrested after these two spilled out their modus operandi,” said Ananthalal, the sub inspector of special branch police.

 
Next: Woman alleges police harassment, attempts immolation at CoP office
 
Woman alleges police harassment, attempts immolation at CoP office
 

Chennai: A woman, arrested last week for allegedly running a brothel, attempted to commit suicide by dousing herself with kerosene in Chennai police commissioner’s office on Friday alleging police harassment. 
 
Onlookers prevented her from immolating herself. It is interesting that the woman has a press pass issued by the state government which proclaims her to be a photographer attached to the publication Indraya makkal parvai. She alleged that she was being harassed by the anti-vice squad. 
 
She named former Thiruvanmiyur inspector Jayaraman and AVS inspector Mathiyazhagan as the officials who had foisted cases on her. 
 
“On August 8 afternoon, a police team barged into my house and took me to Chinthatripet police station where I was abused, threatened and booked for running a brothel,” Roja said in her petition. 
 
When contacted, inspector Jayaraman, who is now working in crime wing in Mylapore station, claimed that Roja used to threaten many people while flaunting her contacts. 
 
“She was booked based on a complaint a year ago,” he recalled. AVS inspector Mathiyazhagan also said that Roja was booked for running a brothel house. “We rescued a woman from Andhra Pradesh from her house,” he said.

Next: Couple drowns in river during vratam

 
Couple drowns in river during vratam
 

Rajahmundry: A young couple drowned in river Godavari while taking part in the Varalakshmi Vratam to mark the auspicious Friday at Ramapadala ghat in Dowleswaram.
 
Dowleswaram police said that Ganji Murali Krishna, 30, and his wife Durga Bhavani, 27, of Narasingpur in Pithapuram mandal came to Vemagiri near Rajahmundry. The couple went to the river as Bhavani wanted to perform Varalakshmi Vratam.
 
She reportedly entered the river to take a holy dip but slipped and fell in the river. She screamed for help and her husband jumped into the river to rescue her but both drowned.
 
The body of Krishna was fished out while efforts are on to trace Bhavani’s body. Police booked a case and is investigating.
 
On being alerted by the villagers, police swung into action and pressed divers into service to rescue the couple.

Next: Police nabs Gang that stole Rs 55 LAKh from city ATMs

Police nabs Gang that stole Rs 55 LAKh from city ATMs

 
Hyderabad: The Jeedimetla police arrested a gang of five persons for stealing about `55 lakh in cash from Cash Movement Service (CMS).
 
Two of the accused are the custodians in the organisation which replenishes cash at ATMs. The cops recovered about `10 lakh, an Innova  and a Bolero car from the accused. 
 
Police identified the CMS duo as Satyanarayana Reddy, Srinivas Reddy, and the others are Babanna, Ravi and Anjan Kumar.
 
Inspector M. Sudarshan said the gang misused the password meant to be used to fill cash in the ATMs and withdrew Rs 55 lakh. Based on a complaint, the gang was arrested and about `10.68 lakh was recovered.

 
Next: Brokers sell AP onions elsewhere

 
Brokers sell AP onions elsewhere
 

Hyderabad: The state government has been caught napping while brokers are making money,  diverting huge stocks of onions to other states, especially Delhi and West Bengal. 
 
Brokers are buying onions directly from farmers at low rates and exporting them, exacerbating the shortage in the state.
 
Onions are being sold at Rs 60-Rs 80 per kg depending on quality. Instead of buying onions from the farmers, the government is relying on traders to procure stocks; traders  are refusing to supply onions at subsidised prices.
 
Brokers are purchasing up to 3,000 quintals of onions daily from Kurnool at Rs 4,200 per quintal and selling it in West Bengal and Delhi for almost Rs 7,000. Farmers are happy since they were getting only Rs 1,000 till recently.