Family of Hyderabad rape-murder accused claims police killed him, projected it as suicide

Hyderabad: The family members of the accused in the Hyderabad rape case whose body was found on railway tracks have alleged that the police killed him and projected it as suicide.

The body of Pallakonda Raju, 30, was found dead on the rail tracks near Ghanpur station in Jangaon district on Thursday, amid a massive manhunt by the police and calls for an encounter.

Earlier on Tuesday, Telangana Labour Minister Malla Reddy said that the accused in the Hyderabad rape case will be "killed in an encounter". As many as 15 police teams had been formed and sent to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to hunt for the accused.

Raju's mother Veeramma and wife Mounika demanded that the body be handed over to them. They said they have no money to even travel to Warangal and see his body.

They alleged that police arrested Raju two days ago and after killing him, dumped the body on the railway track to show it as a suicide.

As the news of Raju's alleged suicide reached, Raju's relatives gathered at his sister's house at Addagudur in Yadadri Bhongir district.

A wailing Veeramma told reporters that if Raju had committed any crime, police should have arrested and produced him in court.

Raju's wife Mounika said she was facing an uncertain future with a month-old baby.

Raju was living alone at his house in Singraeni Colony in the Saidabad area of Hyderabad after Mounika had returned to the village following a quarrel with him a few months ago.

He allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered the six-month-old daughter of his neighbour on September 9, and was absconding after committing the heinous crime.

Police had launched a massive manhunt for him and had announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.

After a body was found on the railway track near Station Ghanpur on Thursday, police confirmed it to be the body of Raju with the help of identification marks including 'Mounika' tattooed on his arms.