83-year-old shopkeeper killed for gold, body exhumed from Tirupati lake

An 83-year-old woman who ran a small shop was allegedly killed for her gold jewellery, with her body recovered from a lake in Tirupati district ten days after the incident.

The victim, identified as Lakshmidevi, was a widow and resident of Devareddygaripalle in Kondamaripalle village panchayat, Madanapalle mandal. She operated a petty shop on the Madanapalle bypass road.

Police said the accused, Vinod, allegedly targeted her jewellery and murdered her on August 26. To dispose of evidence, the body was reportedly moved to Mulagamudi lake near Vadamalapeta in Tirupati district and buried close to the waterbody.

Acting on a tip-off, Madanapalle Taluk police reached the lake on Saturday and exhumed the body. An inquest and spot post-mortem were conducted at the site in the presence of revenue officials.

Family members and relatives staged a rasta-roko on the Madanapalle bypass road demanding the accused's arrest. Police have registered a case and formed a special team to trace the accused, who remains at large.