Arrest of Accused in Andhra Pradesh Family Deaths
Police have arrested Shaik Sadiq Khan in connection with the deaths of three members of a family in Andhra Pradesh, in a case that has drawn attention for its allegations of harassment, blackmail, and possible murder.
Kakinada District Collector Harendhira Prasad confirmed the arrest on Saturday, as reported by The New Indian Express. The arrest followed a search by Rajahmundry and Sarpavaram police that had been underway since Monday, after Khan reportedly fled Kakinada following the incident. Sources indicated that Khan had been attempting to secure anticipatory bail before his capture.
According to Deccan Chronicle, a senior police official announced the arrest on Monday, and Kakinada District Superintendent of Police G Bindu Madhav confirmed that Khan was arrested in connection with the family's deaths and a separate murder case. Khan was taken into custody near Nauchandi Police Station in Meerut on August 22, after a special team travelled there, and was later brought to Kakinada on a transit warrant. India Today reported that the arrest came after a five-state search involving more than 10 police teams.
The Incident and Initial Investigation
The case stems from an incident on August 16, when Panchayat Raj Assistant Engineer Nookaraju (also spelled Nukaraju), his wife Meena, their daughter Sowjanya, and Sowjanya's 10-year-old son jumped from a bridge into the Godavari River near Rajamahendravaram, as reported by both Deccan Chronicle and India Today. Local fishermen rescued the boy, but Nookaraju, Meena, and Sowjanya died.
Police initially treated the deaths as a family suicide, but the recovery of two alleged suicide notes changed the course of the investigation, according to India Today. The first note was purportedly written by Nookaraju and it was upon its contents that police registered an abetment to suicide case in Rajamahendravaram. A second note, attributed to Sowjanya, was recovered from a scooter. Both notes named Shaik Sadiq Khan, police said.
Allegations in the Suicide Notes
In her purported suicide note, Sowjanya accused Khan of harassment, threats, blackmailing her for nearly two years using private videos, and pressing her to convert to Islam, as reported by India Today and Deccan Chronicle. The Deccan Chronicle additionally reported that the note accused Khan of interfering with the family's bank accounts.
These allegations formed the basis of a complaint filed by Sowjanya's father-in-law, Bhaskar Reddy, which led to a case at Sarpavaram police station with charges including murder, extortion, and forced conversion, India Today reported. The same source said that Sowjanya's note also claimed Khan had given her husband, Kovvuri Jagadeesh Reddy, a poisonous substance and staged his death as a suicide. Jagadeesh Reddy in his death is under scrutiny as part of the investigation.
Relationship and Arrest Details
According to India Today, police stated that Khan had known the family for nearly two years, having been introduced through a professional shooting academy. Khan later joined the school attended by Sowjanya's son, Reyansh Reddy, as a rifle-shooting coach, and police are examining the nature of his relationships during that period.
Deccan Chronicle reported that Khan was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Meerut, where a transit warrant was obtained, after which he was brought to Kakinada and produced before the Kakinada Special Mobile Judicial First Class Magistrate Court. India Today reported that a court remanded Khan to 14 days of judicial custody.
Investigation and Evidence
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances, as reported by Deccan Chronicle. The investigation is looking into details mentioned in the suicide note, the role of the accused, the circumstances surrounding Jagadeesh Reddy's death, and the allegations of religious conversion and threats. Evidence including mobile phones, digital evidence, CCTV footage, call data records, medical records, and bank transactions is being examined, according to the same source.
India Today reported that police are independently verifying the allegations in the notes and examining the potential involvement of a driver in the case. The authorities have not yet established the full truth of the allegations in the notes, and Khan remains the accused.
Body Recovery
The New Indian Express reported that the body of Meena, the wife of the AE, was recovered from the Godavari River near Mulasthanam in Alamuru area on Saturday, completing the recovery of all three bodies. Sowjanya's body had been recovered earlier near Ravulapalem. A post-mortem examination was scheduled for the following day in Rajahmundry, according to the same report.