Accused told Lavanya’s family he would marry her, had job in Muscat

HYDERABAD: Family members of Lavanya trusted her friend Sunil Kumar when he told them that he had arranged a job interview for her in Muscat. In February this year, Sunil had told Lavanya and her family that he had got a job in Muscat, and convinced them that she should also find a job there to settle with him there.

Lavanya’s family members were aware of their relationship, and Sunil had met them to assure that he was interested in marrying her. Lavanya’s father, B Srinivasa Rao, told TOI: “Sunil told us that he had spoken to his family members about the marriage. He said that he would introduce his family members to us, but that did not happen.”



Rao said, “Sunil told us that he was working in Muscat with Ford. We believed him. He told us he arranged a job interview for Lavanya there, and we dropped them at the airport on April 4 thinking would will board a flight with him to Muscat. Lavanya had said she would return home on April 7.”

The family grew suspicious on April 7 when Lavanya’s phone was switched off. At 10.30 am on April 7, Lavanya’s sister had received a message from her number, saying: “I returned and reached RGI airport. I will come to KPHB by bus.”

At 12.50 pm, her sister received another message from Lavanya’s number saying she had reached KPHB. Another message at 1 pm said she had reached Miyapur “but has little bit of weakness”.

“After I was told about the message, I immediately called Lavanya, but her phone was switched off. After searching for her at different places, we lodged a complaint with the police in the evening,” Rao said.

Subsequently, Rao along with the police, contacted Sunil Kumar’s family but they said he had never mentioned about the plan to marry Lavanya. Rao said, “Sunil was not at home and his family members said he did not come home for the past several days. We also came to know that he was not working in Muscat.”

The HR manager of the engineering firm in Jubilee Hills, where Sunil has been working for the past four years, said Sunil has been absent since past one-and-half months. “Sunil said his mother has been suffering from cancer. He has been irregular to work, but he is on our rolls,” said the HR manager, who added he was unaware of the crime committed by Sunil.

After analysing the cellphone details of the accused and his family members, police arrested him at his house on Saturday night. “He cheated and killed my daughter. We want him to get stringent punishment for what he has done,” Rao said.

Lavanya is survived by her parents and a younger sister. Her father works as a contract employee with a PSU. Sunil’s father works with a pharma company.