Jawaharnagar murder: Years-long rivalry led to brutal killing of realtor

The murder of realtor Ganta Venkata Ratnam in Jawaharnagar exposes a personal vendetta spanning years. Suspect Chandan Singh, with a wrestling background, allegedly planned the killing meticulously with accomplices, driven by property disputes and his father’s past encounter

Hyderabad: A feud that began with a land deal and a phone call has now escalated into one of the city’s most sensational revenge killings.

What seemed like a routine dispute between two men in the real-estate circle has, investigators say, revealed years of simmering anger, personal loss, and a meticulously executed murder plot.

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New details in the killing of realtor Ganta Venkata Ratnam in Jawaharnagar point to a deeply personal vendetta driven by the prime suspect, Chandan Singh, who was once a promising wrestling athlete before drifting into odd jobs and running an auto garage.

According to sources, the hostility between the two men began nearly two years ago, when both were involved in resolving a land issue and a bank loan dispute between two warring groups.

During one of their heated phone conversations, Venkata Ratnam allegedly claimed that he had alerted police ahead of the encounter of rowdy-sheeter Sudesh Singh, Chandan’s father, over two decades ago. He is also said to have warned Chandan that he could face the same end.

That remark, officers believe, struck at the heart of Chandan’s long-buried grief. As he later gathered more details from relatives and acquaintances about the old encounter and the events leading up to it, Chandan became convinced that Venkata Ratnam had not only played a role in his father’s death but had also benefited from properties linked to him.

Investigators found that Venkata Ratnam, who had come to Hyderabad decades ago, once worked closely with Sudesh Singh and later built his own real estate network after the encounter.

Disputes over property dealings in the Goshamahal area, where Chandan had intervened on behalf of another group, further deepened the rift between the two.

According to police, the bitterness reached a breaking point when Chandan heard that the realtor had recently spoken casually at a private gathering about the encounter that killed his father.

Enraged, Chandan reportedly decided to act before Venkata Ratnam could make good on his threats.

He then laid out a plan nearly six months ago and, with the help of close associates, began conducting three months of surveillance across Saket Colony, Madhuban Colony, and nearby areas to map the realtor’s daily movements.

The murder was finally carried out on Monday with the help of five accomplices – Venkata Narayana, K Naresh Kumar, Eeshan Sharma, Pawan Kumar of Madhuban Colony, and auto driver Narsingh from Puranapul.

Officers noted that Chandan’s wrestling background gave him physical confidence and a circle of loyal friends, which helped him plan and execute the crime with precision.

The investigation is ongoing into the property disputes and personal rivalries that culminated in the high-profile murder.