What began as a missing man case soon turned into a chilling murder conspiracy involving an alleged extramarital affair, a contract killing deal, and meticulous planning spread across multiple districts.
Police in Eluru have arrested five persons, including the wife of the deceased, in connection with the murder of Reddy Solomon Raju, whose body was recently found near the NDRF Gate at the Jagananna Housing Colony in Kondapavuluru village of Gannavaram mandal.
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Addressing the media at the District Police Office on Thursday, Eluru Superintendent of Police K. Shiva Pratap Kishore said the case was cracked using technical surveillance, forensic clues, and coordinated field investigation by special police teams.
The murder was registered as Crime No. 66/2026 at Agiripalli Police Station after Solomon Raju, a resident of Vadlamanu village, was found dead under suspicious circumstances. Considering the seriousness of the case, the district police formed special teams under the supervision of Nuzvid DSP K.V.V.N. Prasad.
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According to investigators, Solomon Raju’s wife, Reddy Durgamani, had allegedly been in a relationship for nearly three years with Palagani Venkanna Babu, an employee at a village secretariat. Police said tensions reportedly escalated after Solomon Raju came to know about the affair, leading to frequent disputes at home.
Investigators alleged that Durgamani, along with Venkanna Babu, conspired to eliminate Solomon Raju. Police said the duo allegedly contacted Kalathoti Sai Srinivas and Maddali Jaswanth Roy through relatives and struck a deal worth nearly ₹12 lakh to carry out the murder.
The accused were traced and arrested on Wednesday in the Gannavaram area. Police seized a Baleno car allegedly used in the crime, five mobile phones, a charging cable wire, empty beer bottles, and ₹75,000 in cash during the operation.
Those arrested include Kalathoti Sai Srinivas, Maddali Jaswanth Roy, Kalathoti Manikantha, Palagani Venkanna Babu, and Reddy Durgamani. All five were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Police officials said the investigation is continuing to determine whether others were involved in planning or assisting the crime.
