Andhra Pradesh murder: 30-year-old woman allegedly killed over money dispute, body dumped in canal

A missing woman. An unidentified body part pulled from a canal. A tattoo that helped her family recognise her. And an investigation that eventually led police to a butcher in Vijayawada.

The case has shocked Andhra Pradesh, but behind the disturbing details is a still-developing murder investigation. Police have arrested 35-year-old Mohd Shafi, while another man allegedly involved in disposing of the body is absconding, according to the latest account by Hindustan Times citing police.

So, what happened?

What happened to the woman in Andhra Pradesh?

The victim has been identified as Valluripalli Kalyani, 30, a native of Eluru district who was staying in the Mangalagiri area near Vijayawada. Police say Kalyani went to Shafi's house in Bhavanipuram on September 17 after contacting him over money. An argument allegedly broke out between the two. According to West Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police N S V K Durga Rao, as quoted by Hindustan Times, Shafi allegedly attacked Kalyani with a knife and slit her throat during the argument.

The allegations are part of the police investigation; they have not been established by a court.

How was Kalyani's body found in the canal?

The case first came to light on September 18, when police recovered the torso of an unidentified woman from a cooling canal near the Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station in Ibrahimpatnam. An NDRF team subsequently helped police search the canal, where they recovered additional body parts, including the head, legs and a hand. The remains were sent to Vijayawada Government Hospital for postmortem examination.

Police then circulated details and photographs of the unidentified woman through social media and other channels. That led to the crucial breakthrough. Kalyani's brother recognised a tattoo on her hand, allowing investigators to establish her identity. The New Indian Express had earlier reported that her brother was taken to the site and helped identify the remains.

What was the alleged motive behind the murder?

Police are investigating a money dispute between Kalyani and Shafi. According to the latest account cited by Hindustan Times, Shafi and Kalyani had known each other for some time. Police allege that Kalyani had been asking him for money and went to his home on September 17 expecting financial assistance.

The police have also alleged that there was a complicated earlier connection involving Kalyani's son. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding that relationship as part of the case. Investigators were initially examining whether a personal relationship between Kalyani and Shafi had any connection to the killing and had not yet established the motive.

The latest police account, however, places the alleged argument over money at the centre of the murder investigation.

Who allegedly helped Shafi dispose of the body?

Police say Shafi did not allegedly dispose of the remains alone. Durga Rao alias Abdullah, who worked at Shafi's mutton shop, allegedly helped him dismember the body and transport the remains from Bhavanipuram to the cooling canal.

Durga Rao is currently absconding, according to the latest police account.

An earlier TOI report had identified another mutton-shop employee as Guruvulu and said he was being questioned. The discrepancy underlines why the latest police account is important as the investigation develops.

What evidence has police found?

Investigators have been examining several pieces of evidence. Police reportedly detected bloodstains at Shafi's residence and near the Gollapudi canal and were examining forensic evidence. Police also examined call records and CCTV footage. Investigators said Kalyani had made 68 calls to Shafi, while CCTV footage allegedly showed her entering his residence on the afternoon of September 17 and movements connected to the house later that evening. A murder case has been registered on the complaint of Kalyani's brother, and Shafi has been arrested, police said.

What happens next in the Andhra Pradesh murder case?

The immediate focus is on establishing the complete sequence of events, determining the precise roles of those allegedly involved and locating the second suspect. Police will also have to establish the allegations through forensic evidence, witness accounts, CCTV footage, call records and other material collected during the investigation.

For now, the confirmed development is that a 35-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of Kalyani, whose dismembered remains were recovered from a cooling canal in Ibrahimpatnam.

What began with the discovery of an unidentified torso has now become a murder investigation centred on a money dispute, a butcher's premises and an alleged attempt to conceal the crime by dumping the remains in a canal.

(With inputs from agencies)