Hyderabad: A woman and her minor son have been arrested in Telangana's Siddipet district for allegedly targeting women living alone, killing them for gold and burning their bodies with petrol in an attempt to conceal the crimes. The shocking case came to light after police found a partially charred body on August 8 and traced the alleged murder trail within a week.
Police identified the accused as Bhupally resident Chakali Rajitha and her minor son. The investigation began after the partially burnt body of Atikam Vijaya was found in an agricultural field outside Ramakkapet village in Dubbak mandal. A special team, working under Siddipet Police Commissioner Rashmi Perumal, examined CCTV footage and phone records, leading investigators to the mother-son duo.
Police allege that Vijaya, who lived alone, was lured to the accused's grocery shop on August 8. She was allegedly strangled there and robbed of her gold ornaments before the body was transported by motorcycle to an isolated location, doused with petrol and set on fire.
Interrogation allegedly revealed two earlier crimes. Police said Rajitha and her son had killed Kuntha Rekha, another resident of Bhupally, on May 28 and burnt her body in the Achamayyapalli forest area. They were also linked to an attack on Bhupally resident Annapurna during a morning walk in June 2025, when her gold mangalsutra was allegedly snatched.
Investigators said the accused allegedly studied the financial and family circumstances of customers visiting their tea shop and selected women who lived alone or had family disputes, believing suspicion would fall elsewhere after their deaths. Police also said the pair had allegedly planned to kill four more people, including Rajitha's husband. Seized items include 5.61 tolas of gold, 53 tolas of silver, ₹1.03 lakh, two phones and the motorcycle, together worth about ₹10 lakh. Rajitha was remanded in judicial custody, while her son was sent to an observation home.