Telangana Police foils 'honour killing' plot

Police in Telangana's Rajanna Sircilla district has foiled an "honour killing" with the arrest of a two-member gang hired by a man to eliminate his daughter's lover.

Neelam Srinivas had struck a deal with a killer-for-hire gang for Rs 5 lakh to eliminate Manoj Kumar, who was continuing an affair with his daughter even after her marriage to another person.

The murder plot was busted close on the heels of killing of a youth in Hyderabad over inter-faith marriage. He was hacked to death by relatives of his wife in Saroornagar on the night of May 4.

According to Rajanna Sircilla police, Srinivas, a resident of Vemulawada town, hired two killers, including one from Bihar, to kill 25-year-old Manoj Kumar.

Manoj Kumar had been in love with Srinivas' daughter Sirisha, 23, for some time. Though Sirisha was married to another person a year ago, he continued the affair. A few months ago, she ran off with Manoj Kumar to Mumbai. After staying there for a week, she returned but her husband refused to accept her. Since then, she had been staying with her parents.

Since Manoj Kumar continued the affair with Sirisha, her father and his friend M. Kuntaiah hatched a plan to kill him. They struck a deal with Lakhindra Sahni, of Bihar, and B. Rajukmar of Korutla town for Rs 5 lakh.

The four met at a bus station on Thursday to discuss the movements of Manoj Kumar and the plan to murder him. A police patrol team found them moving under suspicious circumstances and stopped the car.

Superintendent of Police Rahul Hegde said police personnel checked the car and found two sickles arranged to execute the murder plot. On questioning, the accused revealed their plan.

Police arrested the accused and produced them before a court, which sent them to judicial custody. A car, four cell phones, a motorbike and Rs 5,000 cash was seized from them.