Hyderabad, February 9: In a shocking case of familial violence, Andhra-based industrialist Velamati Chandrasekhar Janardhan Rao was brutally murdered by his grandson Keerthi Teja over a property dispute. Hyderabad police confirmed the arrest of the accused on Sunday.
Janardhan Rao, the head of the Veljan Group of Companies, was attacked at his Somajiguda residence on Thursday night. The crime came to light late Saturday following the arrest of his grandson.
According to local police, 29-year-old Keerthi Teja, who had recently returned from the US after completing his Master’s degree, stabbed his 86-year-old grandfather 73 times after a heated argument over inheritance matters. Rao, originally from Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, had been residing in Hyderabad for the past few months.
Investigations revealed that Rao had recently appointed his eldest daughter’s son, Srikrishna, as Director of Veljan Group and transferred shares worth ₹4 crore to Keerthi Teja, the son of his second daughter, Sarojini Devi. On Thursday, Sarojini Devi and her son visited Rao’s residence, where an argument broke out over property distribution. Alleging unfair treatment, Keerthi Teja reportedly pulled out a knife and launched a frenzied attack, stabbing his grandfather repeatedly, leading to his immediate death.
Hearing the commotion, Sarojini Devi, who had stepped into the kitchen to prepare tea, rushed to intervene but was also attacked, sustaining four stab wounds. The accused then threatened the security guard who witnessed the crime before fleeing the scene.
The Panjagutta police registered a case of murder on Saturday and swiftly apprehended Keerthi Teja. He was later produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody. Authorities suspect he may be a drug addict and are conducting further investigations.
Janardhan Rao was not only a prominent businessman but also a noted philanthropist. He had made significant donations to the Government General Hospital in Eluru and contributed generously to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).
