Ichoda police late on Tuesday arrested a ‘contract killer,’ who is an accused in the murder of an Adivasi, Arka Khammu of Ramjiguda of Sirikonda mandal and another local tribal. He was sent to remand on Wednesday.
The accused identified as Gaikwad Janardhan of Maharashtra had allegedly agreed to kill Khammu for ₹50,000 but was paid only ₹20,000 before he got arrested.
According to the police, Athram Jaithu of Ramjiguda had suspected Khammu of being a sorcerer and the reason behind his father’s chronic illness.
In order to kill him he hired Janardhan who got the victim drunk at Ichoda and took his to the outskirts of Sonpalli in Sirikonda and killed him by crushing his skull with a boulder on May 31. Police traced the alleged killer with the help of CCTV footage at the liquor shop. The murder is a rare contract killing in these parts.