City police arrested four persons, including two women in connection with an elderly woman's murder which took place near Jagadamba Junction in the city yesterday night, police sources said here today.
The accused were arrested due to swift reaction by the police and timely support of locals.
City Police Commissioner Amit Garg said that a 70-year-old widow Hafiz Unnissa, who resided behind Indus Hospital near Jagadamba Junction was allegedly smothered to death by a four-member gang around 8 pm on Monday in her residence.
The gang was caught by the police at around 10 pm on Monday.
Those arrested were identified as Kurupam area (Vizianagaram district) resident A Naresh Kumar (35), Gonduru village resident P Ramu (21), Naresh's wife V Santha Kumari (23) who resides at Burma Camp in Kancharapalem as well as B Varalakhsmi (19) of Pedabayalu.
Garg said that the prime accused Naresh, who used to work as a security guard at Wipro software centre was out of a job for the last couple of months.
Earlier, he had befriended Santha Kumari, an employee at Manipal Hospital in the city, where he used to work as a guard, and married her.
Police sources said that during her spinster days, Santha used to be the victim's tenant and Naresh had visited the house to meet a job consultant who also was a tenant.
Both Santha and Naresh were known to the murdered widow Hafiz Unnissa. Allegedly, they hatched a conspiracy with Ramu and Varalakshmi, who were their family friends to kill the widow, taking her vulnerability into consideration, since they were all in need of money.
Allegedly, the four accused mixed a sedative in samosas and fed it to the elderly widow after which they smothered her to death with a pillow.
