Second victim’s body exhumed by police

VIJAYAWADA: The  Nuzvid police on Thursday exhumed the body of Pulaparthi Thavitaiah, the second victim of serial killer V Simhadri alias Siva, and collected samples to ascertain the reasons behind his death. The samples were later sent to the forensic laboratory. Based on a complaint lodged by P Kalavathi, wife of the victim, Nuzvid DSP Ch GV Prasad ordered police to exhume the body. Thavitaiah, a resident of Marribhandam village of Nuzvid mandal, was a daily- wage worker in the Food Corporation of India warehouse at Nuzvid.

He underwent heart surgery in 2016 and reportedly became acquainted with Simhadri in 2017 through another person. Believing Simhadri’s claims that one special puja would help him gain fortune, Thavitaiah gave the killer Rs 8 lakh on different occasions. Finding no sign of any great change in his life after the so-called puja he performed, Thavitaiah reportedly gave vent to his anger with Simhadri.

“On March 2 last year, my husband was found dead on the outskirts of Meerjapuram village and we thought he died of cardiac arrest. But, when the crimes of serial killer came to light, we want to know the reason behind my husband’s mysterious death,” Kalavathi mentioned in her complaint. When TNIE contacted, DSP Prasad said a team of forensic doctors dug up the body and collected the samples for testing. “We have registered a case against Simhadri for killing Thavitaiah,” the DSP said.