A police source detailing the murder to Deccan Chronicle said, “The deceased is Hanumanthu, 37, a resident of Gopanpally Thanda in Serilingampally and native of Wanaparthy district. He recently mortgaged his land to raise ₹ 6 lakh and kept the money at home, intending to help relatives as promised. However, his son, Ravinder, who was already addicted to online betting, took `3 lakh from the stash without informing him.”

When Hanumanthu discovered the money missing last week, Ravinder confessed that he had given it to a friend. Enraged, Hanumanthu repeatedly scolded him over the following days. On Tuesday, Ravinder lured his father to an isolated plot about five km from their home, under the pretext that his friend was ready to return the money. He said it was a usual hangout spot and promised a surprise gift — a gold ring.

Pretending to play Close Your Eyes, Ravinder asked his father to close his eyes. Using the moment, he pulled out a knife he had hidden earlier and stabbed Hanumanthu in the neck. Bleeding heavily, Hanumanthu removed the cloth from his eyes and attempted to chase his son, but collapsed nearly 200 metres away.

Ravinder then called his uncle, Kethavath Ramesh, and claimed that his father had stabbed himself and died. The family believed him, took the body to Wanaparthy for funeral arrangements and began the last rites. However, Ramesh grew suspicious of inconsistencies in Ravinder’s story and questioned him during the journey. Ravinder eventually broke down and confessed to the murder.

They immediately returned to Hyderabad and reached the Gachibowli police station by early Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ravinder absconded. Police teams traced him to his home, where he was trying to collect cash to escape. He was arrested on the spot. Inspector Habibullah Khan confirmed that a case of murder has been registered and further investigation is underway.