Kakinada: A rifle-shooting instructor has been arrested in connection with the deaths of a Panchayat Raj assistant engineer and two members of his family, who allegedly jumped into the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh earlier this month.
The incident took place on the night of August 16-17, when Thillapudi Nookaraju, his wife Meena, daughter Sowjanya and 10-year-old grandson reportedly leapt from the road-cum-rail bridge in Rajamahendravaram. Fishermen rescued the boy, but Nookaraju and the two women died.
Note Leads Police To Coach
During the probe, investigators recovered a note allegedly written by Nookaraju. The document reportedly referred to Sheikh Sadhik Khan, a rifle-shooting coach, and linked him to events that preceded the family’s deaths, as reported by NDTV.
Police registered a case against Khan on allegations that he had pressured Nookaraju to convert to another religion and was involved in murder and extortion. Investigators are yet to establish the allegations through the ongoing probe.
Khan was eventually arrested in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, after police teams tracked him across several states.
“It was a very grueling chase across five states,” Kakinada District Superintendent of Police Bindu Madhav said, adding that more than 10 police teams had been involved in the operation.
According to investigators, Khan attempted to evade detection by limiting his use of mobile phones and avoiding digital transactions. He was brought back to Andhra Pradesh on a transit warrant, police said.
Police said Khan had known Nookaraju and his family for nearly two years. He had also worked as a rifle-shooting trainer at a school attended by the engineer’s grandson.
Probe Into Wider Allegations
Investigators are now examining Khan’s association with the family, his movements following the incident and the accusations contained in the recovered notes. They are also trying to determine whether anyone else played a role in the events that led to the deaths.
The case has also triggered demands for a central probe. Former MP Vijayasai Reddy has sought an investigation by either the CBI or the NIA, alleging that the incident could be part of a broader conspiracy with international links.
Reddy alleged that Khan was linked to a 10-member group purportedly engaged in religious conversions, extortion, arms trafficking and anti-national activities. He also claimed that the group had allegedly targeted nearly 15 families in and around Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram.
“Since the activities allegedly extend to other states and countries, this is a fit case to be handed over either to the CBI or the NIA,” Reddy said.
Khan remains in police custody while investigators reconstruct the sequence of events and verify the allegations against him. Officials have said that the probe has, so far, found no evidence connecting the case with the alleged “love jihad” theory.
