A 24-year-old housewife was chased and allegedly stabbed to death by her estranged husband in full public view at a tea stall in Kodad, Suryapet district, on Wednesday night. The incident occurred due to marital disputes, police said.
Background of the Couple
The victim, identified as Sirisha, fell in love with Manideep, a truck driver from Kodad, six years ago and married him. The couple has a four-year-old son. Over a year ago, their marital relationship began to strain as Manideep allegedly started assaulting her frequently under the influence of alcohol, suspecting infidelity. Sirisha left him about a fortnight ago and started staying with her aunt Venkamma in Jaggayyapet, Andhra Pradesh.
Events Leading to the Incident
On Wednesday night, Manideep approached the Kodad police, alleging that Sirisha had taken some money from home without informing him while leaving for her aunt's house with their son. The police called Sirisha to the Kodad Town police station for counselling. On Wednesday evening, Sirisha went to the police station along with her aunt, where she met Manideep and his mother, Jyothy. In the presence of police, Sirisha refused to return to her husband's house and informed them that she would provide a written statement on Thursday.
The Attack
Both parties left the police station, and Sirisha and her aunt waited on the road for an auto rickshaw to go to Jaggayyapet. At around 8:05 pm, they stopped an auto, and as Sirisha was about to get into the vehicle, Manideep, who was waiting nearby, dragged her out. When Manideep pulled out a knife from his pocket, Sirisha ran into a nearby tea stall. Manideep chased her and repeatedly attacked her with the knife, striking her multiple times on the chest and shoulder, police said. Locals tried to intervene but were unsuccessful. After the assault, Sirisha collapsed at the spot and, due to excessive bleeding and injuries, fell unconscious. The accused fled from the scene, abandoning the murder weapon at the crime scene. Locals rushed Sirisha to the government hospital, where she was declared dead at 8:35 pm.
Legal Action
On the complaint of Venkamma, a case was registered against Manideep under Section 103(1) (Murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The body of Sirisha was handed over to her family after the autopsy on Thursday. The accused was taken into custody on Thursday.
