Vijayawada: The Women's Session Magistrate on Friday sentenced a woman to life imprisonment for murdering an elderly woman and stealing her gold ornaments in a case that dates to 2018 under the NTR district police limits.
The magistrate found Asiya Begum, 46, a resident of Machavaram, guilty of the murder of Peram Nagamani, 57. Judge G Rajeshwari pronounced the verdict, holding the accused guilty, awarding life imprisonment and also imposing a fine of Rs 2,000 on the convict.
According to police, the victim was living alone at Fortune Heights Apartments in Ajith Singh Nagar. The accused, who lived in a rented house opposite the victim's residence, had frequent disputes with her husband. Nagamani reportedly intervened in these disputes on several occasions, which led to resentment.
On the day of the incident, in a fit of rage, Asiya Begum allegedly attacked Nagamani, grabbing her by the hair and smashing her against a wall, leading to her death. In an attempt to mislead investigators, the accused staged the crime scene to resemble a murder by unknown persons by tying a cloth around the victim's neck. She also stole gold ornaments from the victim.
Police said the accused later dragged the body into the victim's house during the night and attempted to erase evidence.
The then Ajith Singh Nagar Inspector B Bala Murali Krishna led the investigation and arrested the accused on Nov 22, 2018. A charge sheet was filed by then Crime ACP SK Maqbool.
