Visakhapatnam police report arrest of two murder defendants in Andaman Islands

Visakhapatnam police said on October 11 that two defendants in a 2022 murder case had been located on Swaraj Dweep and arrested on October 9.

At a press conference, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ch. Manikanta Chandolu said V. Jyothi and V. Nookaraju had stopped attending court. Non-bailable warrants had been issued against them.

Investigators allege that Jyothi, Nookaraju and a third defendant were involved in the killing of her husband, Paidiraju, on December 22, 2022. Following an inquiry into an initial missing-person complaint, all three were arrested in January 2023 and produced before a court.

Police allege that Jyothi and Nookaraju subsequently travelled through Chennai to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On Swaraj Dweep, they allegedly lived under assumed identities and used forged Aadhaar cards.

After their arrest, they were brought before a court in Port Blair, where police obtained permission to transfer them to Visakhapatnam. Police said a local court appearance was still pending. Jyothi’s two children were flown back and handed to relatives. The defendants’ guilt remains for a court to determine.