Nalgonda: Nidamanoor police on Monday arrested nine persons, including two minors, in connection with the murder of a Dalit youngster Irigi Naveen at Guntupalli village of Nidamanoor mandal in the district.
The arrested persons were Ramalingam, Suresh and Kotaiah from Sathyanarayanapuram, Raju, Shiva Prasad, Rajesh and Manideep from Annaram of Thripuraram mandal, and the two minor boys.
Superintendent of Police Apoorva Rao said the accused had hatched a plan to kill Naveen for allegedly harassing a minor girl, who was their relative, in the name of love for the last four years.
After the girl complained to her cousin Manideep, he warned Naveen several times. Manideep then invited Naveen to Guntipalli to discuss and settle the matter, following which Naveen along with his friend Anil reached there on a motorcycle on April 9.
The nine accused attacked them with sticks and knives, following which Naveen died on the spot and Anil was injured. Naveen was stabbed nine times, the SP said, adding that the accused then took shelter in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. They returned to Annaram when they ran out of money and were nabbed by the police.