Seven Arrested in Murder Case of Businessman Adupu Mahesh

New Delhi, India Jul 27, 2026 ALN: The Warangal police have cracked the sensational murder case of businessman Adupu Mahesh, who was allegedly set ablaze after being doused with petrol, with the arrest of seven accused. One more suspect is still absconding, Police Commissioner N. Shwetha said on Sunday.

According to the police, the prime accused, Patti Kumaraswamy alias Kumar, allegedly harboured a longstanding grudge against Mahesh, a businessman from NTR Nagar in Enumamula. Kumar reportedly suspected that Mahesh was spreading false information about him, affecting his political standing with a local public representative. Driven by this alleged rivalry, Kumar is said to have conspired with his associates to eliminate Mahesh.

Police said that on the night of July 18, the accused intercepted Mahesh near Road No. 2 in Parimala Colony, poured petrol on him and set him on fire. He suffered critical burn injuries and succumbed while undergoing treatment at a hospital the following evening.

Based on a complaint lodged by Mahesh's wife, Adupu Nagalakshmi, the Geesugonda police registered a murder case and formed special teams to investigate. Seven accused, including Kumar, have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, while another accused, Suresh, remains absconding.

Commissioner Shwetha said efforts are on to apprehend the remaining accused and complete the investigation swiftly to ensure stringent punishment. She also appreciated the Mamnoor ACP, Task Force officials and Geesugonda police personnel for solving the case promptly.

40-year-old man drowns in Baswapur reservoir

A 40-year-old man drowned in the Narasimha Swamy Sagar Reservoir at Baswapur in Bhongir mandal of Yadadri-Bhongir district on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Syed Naheem, a native of Rahamath Nagar on Road No. 10, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

According to the police, Syed Ameen and his two sons, Saifullah and Naheem, had visited the Baswapur reservoir on Sunday morning for a holiday outing. Naheem accidentally ventured into deep water and drowned.

Upon receiving the information, the Bhongir Rural police rushed to the spot and retrieved Naheem's body after conducting a search operation with the help of local residents. The body was shifted to the Government Hospital in Bhongir for post-mortem examination. The Bhongir Rural police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.

Temple fire engulfs 17 toy shops, 15 pushcarts in Narketpally

About 17 shops and 15 pushcarts located at the foothill of the Sri Parvathi Jadala Ramalingeswara Swamy temple at Chervugattu in Narketpally mandal of Nalgonda district were reduced to ashes in a fire accident after midnight on Saturday.

According to the police, the fire broke out in a toy shop and quickly spread to the neighbouring shops, resulting in an estimated property loss of ₹2.5 crore. As no one was present in the shops at the time of the incident, no injuries were reported, averting a major tragedy.

The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit in the toy shop, which rapidly spread to the adjoining shops. Most of the damaged shops were selling toys and other devotional items. In addition to the 17 shops, 15 pushcarts parked beside them were also gutted in the blaze.

People were panicked after two LPG cylinders kept inside the shops exploded with a loud, bomb-like sound, waking up nearby residents around midnight. On receiving the information, three fire engines rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control.

Government Whip Vemula Veeresham visited the site, inspected the damaged shops, and consoled the affected shop owners. He assured them that the government would extend all possible assistance to those who suffered heavy losses in the fire. He also directed officials to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such fire accidents at the Chervugattu temple.

Man dies as lorry rams motorcycle

A 31-year-old man died in a road accident at Venkatadripalem in Miryalaguda mandal of Nalgonda district on Sunday evening. The deceased was identified as Gudikuntla Vijaya Prasad, a resident of FCI Colony in Miryalaguda town.

According to the police, Prasad, who was unmarried, was returning home after playing cricket with his friends at Jank Thanda when the accident occurred. While attempting to overtake a lorry, his motorcycle allegedly came into contact with the vehicle, causing him to lose balance and fall under its rear wheels. He died on the spot.

The body was shifted to the Area Hospital in Miryalaguda for post-mortem examination. The police suspect that negligent driving by the lorry driver led to the accident. The Miryalaguda Rural police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

In another incident, five members of a family sustained injuries after their car hit a road divider at Kodad in Suryapet district.

According to the police, the family was travelling from Vijayawada to Yadagirigutta when the driver reportedly lost control of the car, causing it to ram into the road divider. All five occupants sustained minor injuries.

The injured were shifted to the Government Hospital in Kodad for treatment, and the police said none of them was in a serious condition.

Cyber fraudsters pose as ACB officials, dupe power staff in Sircilla

Cyber criminals duped employees of the Sircilla electricity department by posing as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials and extorting money from them.

Although around 10 to 15 employees are believed to have fallen victim to the fraud, only two approached the police and lodged complaints.

According to the police, on July 22, Line Inspector Jukanti Shiva Kumar received a phone call from a fellow employee, Dacharam Balaiah, who informed him that an ACB DSP, who was on a conference call, wanted to speak to him.

After obtaining Shiva Kumar's phone number, the cyber fraudster disconnected the conference call. Later, an unidentified person contacted the Line Inspector directly from a mobile number and threatened to conduct ACB raids on his properties, alleging that he had amassed wealth through illegal means.

The fraudster demanded ₹2 lakh to prevent the alleged ACB raids. Panicked by the threat, Shiva Kumar transferred ₹1.50 lakh online to a different mobile number.

When the caller later spoke in a different language, Shiva Kumar realised he had been cheated by cyber criminals. He immediately lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930) and also approached the Sircilla police.

Sircilla DSP K. Nagendra Chary said that while several employees had allegedly been cheated by the cyber fraudsters, only two had come forward to lodge complaints.

Stating that neither the police nor any government agency demands money over the phone, the DSP urged people not to trust callers posing as police officers, ACB officials or Income Tax authorities and demanding money.