Lorry of accused in vet doc murder seized by RTO Mahabubnagar three days before crime

Hyderabad: The first accused in the Hyderabad veterinarian’s murder, Mohammed Areef, does not hold a driving license. He has been driving the lorry for the past two years, evading authorities.

New details put forward by the remand report reveal that Mohammed Areef has been illegally driving the lorry, owned by one Mr. Srinivas Reddy, since 2017. In fact, three days before the crime, on November 24, Mahabubnagar Road Transport Office (RTO) had seized their truck for lack of driving license. Additionally, the officials found the lorry overloaded with bricks that were being transported from Gangavathi in Karnataka to Hyderabad. After the road transport authorities intervened, the first accused Mohammed Areef had called up the owner to manage the situation. He was advised by the owner to remove the self-motor cable and wait, to prevent RTO officials from seizing the vehicle.

However, later, with the RTO authorities leaving, the four accused had managed to continue their journey on the Mahabubnagar-Bhootpur road. Not much thought was given to the legal violations that the lorry driver committed, and that has ultimately cost a 26-year-old her life.

Furthermore, on the fated day of the crime, police officers had asked the accused not to park their lorry on the roadside. The previous day, after reaching Thondapally village at around 9 in the night, they had parked the vehicle on the roadside and slept inside the vehicle. With the police officials interfering, they moved the vehicle near the Gachibowli Outer Ring Road (ORR) toll gate. The lorry owner had instructed the four to wait there until further directions. The location had turned into a crime scene soon after.

It goes without saying that there needs to be stronger surveillance and checking of lorries and other heavy vehicles across the state, which can help curb untoward incidents from further happening.