Two men were arrested within three hours of a murder and robbery in Choutuppal after police traced a Tata Safari stolen from the victim’s house and alerted units along National Highway 44, leading to their interception at the Ganjal Toll Plaza in Nirmal district. The suspects were identified as 21-year-old Pawan Kumar from Madhya Pradesh and 24-year-old Harsh Santhosh Pandey, a native of Uttar Pradesh. Authorities recovered gold and silver ornaments, cash amounting to ₹9,03,300, mobile phones, a knife, and the stolen SUV, with the total value of the retrieved items estimated at ₹1,73,63,300.
Deputy Commissioner of Police for Bhongir, Akshansh Yadav, stated that the victim, Rallabandi Sudhakar Swamy, supported himself by performing religious rituals and poojas, for which devotees offered him money and gold jewelry. The victim's 29-year-old nephew, Gurram Suresh, explained that Swamy had raised him. On October 31, Suresh and his wife visited Swamy's residence, conversing until approximately 9:30 p.m. Later at around 11 p.m., Suresh called to check if his uncle had retired for the evening, and Swamy replied that Pawan and his friend Harsh had just arrived and he would sleep after talking with them.
At approximately 12:38 a.m. on November 1, Suresh received two WhatsApp voice messages sent from his uncle's phone. Upon checking the residence's CCTV cameras, he discovered they were inoperable. He rushed to the house to find the main gate and the upper-floor mesh door open, while the Tata Safari parked outside was gone. Suresh dialed the 112 emergency number at around 1:36 a.m., prompting Choutuppal police to arrive and discover scattered household belongings. Swamy was found dead on a first-floor bedroom bed with his limbs bound by sarees and stab wounds near his right elbow and back. The brief voice notes warned Suresh against reporting the homicide.
Law enforcement immediately analyzed the vehicle registration and technical clues, tracking the stolen SUV moving toward the Nagpur Highway. Toll plazas along the highway route were notified, and vehicle details were disseminated to police stations along the path. This swift coordination allowed the Nirmal district police to stop the vehicle at the Ganjal Toll Plaza around 4:05 a.m., successfully capturing both individuals and securing the stolen valuables and transport.
Recovered assets included gold jewelry weighing 1 kg 319.33 grams valued at approximately ₹1.30 crore, silver items weighing 3 kg 600.66 grams worth around ₹3.60 lakh, and the vehicle valued at roughly ₹30 lakh. Police noted that available records indicate the two detainees possess no prior criminal history.