On September 10, Harsh and Roshan allegedly struck Renu’s head with a pressure cooker, tied her hands and legs, slit her throat and tortured her to reveal the password of a digital locker they intended to loot.
HYDERABAD: A cab driver’s alertness, backed by technical evidence, helped Cyberabad police crack the brutal murder of 50-year-old Renu Agarwal, who was found with 40 stab wounds in her Swan Lake apartment at Kukatpally. Three accused were arrested in a late-night operation on Friday, Cyberabad commissioner Avinash Mohanty said on Saturday.
The arrested are Harsh Kumar, 20, Roshan Singh, 22, and Raju Varma, 19, all natives of Ranchi.
On September 10, Harsh and Roshan allegedly struck Renu’s head with a pressure cooker, tied her hands and legs, slit her throat and tortured her to reveal the password of a digital locker they intended to loot. After killing her, the duo bathed in her house, changed into fresh clothes and locked the flat from outside before fleeing.
Police said the two had begun planning the robbery on September 8. After the murder, they escaped on a two-wheeler belonging to Roshan’s employer, abandoned it at Hafeezpet MMTS station and moved to Secunderabad railway station. Though they bought tickets, they hesitated to board trains after noticing heightened security, Balanagar DCP K. Suresh said.
They then booked a cab through a ride-hailing app to travel directly to Ranchi. The cab driver, suspicious of their behaviour, insisted on advance payment. Harsh’s sister-in-law transferred `15,000 online, which was immediately handed over to the driver.
On reaching Ranchi, the driver later learnt of the murder through social media and alerted local police, who in turn informed Cyberabad police. With coordinated efforts, the accused were arrested in Ranchi on Friday night.
Investigations revealed Roshan Singh already has three criminal cases in Jharkhand. Harsh, though not formally booked earlier, was addicted to drugs and had once been arrested in an inebriated condition. Raju Varma was arrested for sheltering the duo after they reached Jharkhand.
Police seized seven tolas of gold, Renu’s flat keys, 16 watches, two mobile phones and items of rolled gold from the accused. They will be remanded to judicial custody soon.
