Hyderabad: Jawaharnagar realtor murder linked to two-decade-old revenge

A realtor from Jawaharnagar, G Venkata Ratnam, was hacked and shot dead in a planned attack driven by an old grudge linked to a 1999 encounter. Police say the alleged mastermind, Chandan Singh, believed Ratnam betrayed his father two decades ago.

Hyderabad: What began as a father’s simple morning routine of dropping his daughter at school and returning home through familiar neighbourhood lanes ended in one of the city’s most chilling revenge-driven murders in recent years.

G Venkata Ratnam (54), a realtor from Jawaharnagar who was hacked and shot dead on Monday, was killed in a meticulously planned attack which is suspected to be a grudge simmering since 1999.

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Ratnam had just left his daughter at school and was riding his scooter back when he was boxed in by an auto rickshaw coming in reverse against traffic near Jawaharnagar. Within seconds, a second vehicle, a motorcycle carrying two more men, closed in, leaving him no room to escape and he was killed on the spot.

The CCTV footage shows the assailants dragging Ratnam off his scooter and attacking him with knives. While the initial suspicion pointed to land disputes, investigators later found a deeply personal motive.

According to police sources, the alleged mastermind Chandan Singh is the son of Sudesh Singh, who was killed in a controversial police encounter in 1999. At that time, Ratnam had reportedly worked as a driver for Sudesh Singh.

Chandan had grown up believing, based on what he told police during interrogation, that Ratnam had betrayed his father by turning informer. He allegedly carried this belief for over two decades, nurturing it into a long-term obsession.

Police suspect that Chandan spent years searching for Ratnam and recently managed to track him down. Over the last month, he allegedly followed him, mapped his routine and selected a group of loyal workers from his auto workshop to assist in the execution.

Meanwhile, six members of the gang including Chandan Singh had reportedly surrendered before the Shahinayathgunj Police Station and the Jawaharnagar Police, who registered the murder case and took custody of the suspects.

Malkajgiri DCP Ch Sridhar inspected the crime scene and ordered a reconstruction to verify the exact sequence of events, including the use of firearms. Investigators are also checking whether the weapon used in the shooting was procured recently or brought from outside the State.

Police are now investigating Ratnam’s association with Sudesh Singh and whether he indeed played any role in the encounter that claimed Sudesh’s life.