
Eight months after the woman’s death, cell phone voice recordings reveal an alleged murder plot by a husband and lover to kill the ex.
Deceased Renuka Devi (45) and her husband Mukkamala Prasad Chowdary stayed at Poranki in Krishna district while their daughter was working in a software company in Hyderabad and their son was studying in the UK.
According to the children of the victim, Renuka Devi is said to have died of a heart attack at her residence in Poranki on May 19, 2025 as she was ill for the past few days as informed by their father.
After the funeral, Renuka’s son went to London and took his father’s mobile phone with him after giving it to him. While going through his phone, he came across voice recordings of his father and another woman, Akunura Jhansi, who allegedly planned to kill Renuka Devi.
Jhansi, a beautician, used to visit their house to do Renuca’s make-up. She befriended Prasad and allegedly had an extramarital affair with him. The accused then planned to kill Renuka and discussed it over phone.
“My father and Jhansi made a plan and invited my grandparents to stay in the house and help my sick mother to avoid the suspicion of death. Jhansi asked my father to kill my mother by suffocating her with a pillow in her sleep and he carried out the plan on May 19. The next day it looked like a natural death,” Renuk’s son said.
The accused discussed in detail over the phone the execution of the murder plan and their voices were clearly recorded, investigating officers said.
“We were shocked after hearing their plan and discussed the matter with our grandparents and family members and lodged a police complaint. My mother was brutally killed in a planned manner. Penamaluru police arrested my father and Jhansi a few days ago,” said the victim’s daughter.
“Based on the confession of the two and technical evidence, we have arrested them. A detailed investigation is underway,” Krishna District Superintendent of Police (SP) V. Vidyasagar Naidu told The Hindu on Sunday.
The police secured scientific evidence in the case and the accused were produced in court and sent to judicial custody, the SP added.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 19:42 IST