Hyderabad realtor murdered in Saket Colony
A realtor was shot and stabbed to death in Saket Colony under Jawaharnagar Police limits on Monday. Police suspect previous enmity over a financial issue. A special team has begun investigation to identify the assailants, and further details are awaited.
Hyderabad: In a chilling incident of daylight brutality, a 54-year-old realtor was allegedly stabbed to death by a group of unidentified assailants on the main road at Saket Colony in Jawaharnagar on Monday morning.
The victim, G Venkata Ratnam, a resident of Saket, was returning home on his scooter after dropping his daughter at school when he was ambushed.
According to Jawaharnagar police, the attack took place at around 8am near Foster Billabong School. CCTV footage from the vicinity showed a gang of five to six men arriving in an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle, intercepting Ratnam on the main road and attacking him mercilessly in full public view.
In the footage, the attackers can be seen dragging him off the scooter and stabbing him repeatedly on the stomach, back and neck. One attacker is believed to have also fired a shot to ensure he died on the spot. The CCTV clip also shows a woman on a passing scooter abandoning her vehicle and fleeing in panic after witnessing the assault.
The gang fled the scene in the same auto-rickshaw after taking a U-turn, leaving Ratnam lying in a pool of blood to die on the spot.
Alerted by locals, the Jawaharnagar police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area. Forensic teams recovered a bullet shell and multiple knives from the crime scene.
A murder case has been registered and several special teams have been formed to identify and nab the killers.
Malkajgiri DCP Ch Sridhar inspected the spot and reviewed the CCTV footage. Officials confirmed that the assailants appeared to have conducted a planned and targeted attack.
Police disclosed that Venkata Ratnam had a history sheet at Dhoolpet police station and was previously a suspect in a double murder case. Investigators believe that old rivalries, previous enmities or gang disputes may have triggered the attack.
Preliminary investigation has indicated that the attackers were from Mangalhat and may have held a long-standing grudge against Ratnam, reportedly linked to earlier disputes over real estate dealings.
Meanwhile, the brutal murder in a busy residential locality during peak school hours has triggered tension in Saket Colony and surrounding areas. Police have increased patrolling to prevent any further disturbances.
Ratnam is survived by his wife and two daughters, who are in deep shock following the killing.
The investigation is underway, with police examining additional CCTV footage from surrounding routes to trace the escape vehicle and identify the suspects.
