Search for Kakinada engineer’s kin continues; murder case filed

Key points

• KAKINADA: Sarpavaram police on Tuesday booked a murder case against Sheikh Sadiq Khan following the death of Panchayat Raj Assistant…
• Bhaskar Reddy, father of Nukaraju’s son-in-law Kovvuri Jagadish Reddy, lodged a complaint at the Sarpavaram police station, alleging that Sadiq…
• After Jagadish Reddy’s death, Sadiq allegedly asked Nookaraju to allow him to take care of Sowjanya and her son.
• Sowjanya fell in love with Jagdish Reddy and married him while Nookaraju was working in Ravulapalem.

KAKINADA: Sarpavaram police on Tuesday booked a murder case against Sheikh Sadiq Khan following the death of Panchayat Raj Assistant Engineer Thillapudi Nukaraju and his family. This person allegedly jumped into the Godavari from the Rajahmundry Road-cum-Rail Bridge on Sunday.

Bhaskar Reddy, father of Nukaraju’s son-in-law Kovvuri Jagadish Reddy, lodged a complaint at the Sarpavaram police station, alleging that Sadiq Khan was also involved in Jagadish Reddy’s death. Rajamahendravaram police also booked a case against Sadiq Khan. Bhaskar alleged in his complaint that Sadiq killed Jagadish Reddy by administering a poisonous injection.

Fire and SDRF teams continued the search for Meena and Sowjanya. Authorities shifted Nookaraju’s body to the Kakinada GGH for post-mortem.

Nookaraju and his family lived in Ashok Nagar, Kakinada. He worked in the Panchayat Raj Department at Pithapuram and was due to retire next year. After which his daughter-in-law returned to her parents’ home, police said Nookaraju’s son died in an accident in Maharashtra.

Sowjanya fell in love with Jagdish Reddy and married him while Nookaraju was working in Ravulapalem. Jagadish Reddy had reportedly been ill and undergoing treatment for about a year before his death on July 2. Their son, Karthikeya, attended a rifle-shooting institute.

Police said Sadiq Khan, director of the rifle-shooting institute, became acquainted with Sowjanya through her son and gradually became close to Nookaraju’s family.

After Jagadish Reddy’s death, Sadiq allegedly asked Nookaraju to allow him to take care of Sowjanya and her son. Nukaraju and his family reportedly rejected the request. Police alleged that Sadiq continued to visit the family and interfere in their affairs without their permission. Rajamahendravaram II Town police and Kakinada Sarpavaram police are searching for Sadiq.