MAHABUBABAD: Four days after nine-year-old Kusuma Deekshith Reddy was kidnapped, his burnt body was found early on Thursday morning around five km from his house at Thallapusalapally Gutta near Kesamudram.
The police arrested Manda Sagar at around 3 am, along with two others. Sagar has confessed to killing the boy by dousing him in petrol and setting him afire. According to sources, Deekshith's uncle, Manoj Reddy, and T Anil were also arrested.
Deekshith was the son of journalist Kusuma Ranjith Reddy and Vasantha - residents of Krishna Colony in Mahabubabad town. He had gone missing on the evening of October 18 and the same day, Sagar made a call to his family demanding a ransom of Rs 45 lakh.
He had made made 14 internet phone calls to Vasantha, to avoid being traced. Soon after receiving a complaint from the parents on October 18, the police had launched a manhunt for the suspects.
Superintendent of Police (SP) N Koti Reddy had formed several teams, comprising Task Force and CCS personnel. But they could not trace the accused as he had ensured that none of the 140 CCTV cameras installed in Mahabubabad town capture him.
The police had also interrogated 24 suspects but failed to get any leads. When the kidnapper called Deekshith’s parents again at 11 am on Wednesday, the latter told him that they were ready to pay the ransom. Following instructions, Ranjith took `45 lakh cash to Moodu Kotla and waited for someone to collect it. But when no one showed up, he returned home with the money. Meanwhile, for reasons unknown, the accused killed Deekshith.
The SP said Sagar, a two-wheeler mechanic, had kidnapped the boy late in the evening of October 18 to extort his parents. But the accused killed him the same day at Thallapusalapally. He first strangulated Deekshith and then set him afire.
Sagar returned home and continued with his work, but kept making phone calls to Deekshith’s parents, demanding a ransom. "We traced the internet IP and call details soon," Koti Reddy said. Sagar, a resident of Shanigapuram village, had kidnapped Deekshith with an intention to earn a quick buck.
The boy’s father is also a native of the village and would frequently visit his grandmother's house. The accused is close to the boy’s family and knows their financial background too. Koti Reddy said he conducted a recce, and made a mental note of all CCTV cameras and cell phone towers in the town. He kidnapped the boy on a two-wheeler, the senior cop said.
Meanwhile, sources said that he previously worked as a driver at a police station, during which he learnt the working style of cops and got more in touch with technology. He is likely to be taken to the place where the incident happened for reconstructing the crime scene. The boy’s final rites were conducted in Shanigapuram.