A quiet household in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district became the scene of a chilling crime after police uncovered that an onion trader had been deliberately drugged and suffocated, allegedly by his wife and her lover, following years of marital discord.

Lokam Shivanagaraju, 46, was found dead at his home in Chiluvuru village in the early hours following the night of January 18. His wife, Lakshmimadhuri, initially told neighbours that he had suffered a heart attack, but visible injuries on the body raised immediate doubts among relatives and residents.

Sleeping Pills Mixed in Biryani, Police Say

Investigators later pieced together that the night began with what appeared to be a routine family dinner. Police allege that Lakshmimadhuri mixed a large quantity of sleeping tablets into biryani she prepared for her husband. After eating, Shivanagaraju lost consciousness.

According to police, Lakshmimadhuri then called her alleged partner, Kondaveeti Gopi, a travel operator who worked in Hyderabad, to the house. When he arrived late at night, the two allegedly carried out the killing together. “Once they confirmed he was dead, the accused left the house,” Duggirala SI Venkataravi said.

Shivanagaraju and Lakshmimadhuri were married in 2007 and had two sons. Police said the marriage had been strained for years after Lakshmimadhuri, who worked at a cinema ticket counter in Vijayawada, entered into a relationship with Gopi. Investigators said she felt embarrassed by her husband’s onion trading business and had earlier pushed him to work elsewhere, arranging employment for him near Gopi’s workplace.

When Shivanagaraju later returned home and resumed work locally, tensions escalated. “The husband’s presence at home became a problem for her relationship,” Mangalagiri Rural CI Venkatabrahman said. “That is when she decided to remove him from the picture.”

Dawn Call to Neighbours Unravels Murder Plot

After the alleged murder, Lakshmimadhuri remained alone in the house until dawn. At around 4 am, she alerted neighbours, claiming her husband had suddenly collapsed. However, family members noticed blood near his ear and marks on his body, prompting them to approach the police.

A complaint was lodged by Shivanagaraju’s father, Gandhi, a former MPTC member. The body was sent for a post-mortem, which revealed fractures in the chest and confirmed death due to suffocation, ruling out natural causes.

“Medical findings made it clear that this was not a heart attack,” SI Venkataravi said. “The injuries and cause of death pointed towards murder.”

Police have since taken Lakshmimadhuri into custody and are questioning Gopi regarding his role in the crime. A case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered, and further investigation is underway.