Life imprisonment for Telangana's serial killer who murdered 17 women

Hyderabad, May 27

A serial killer, who murdered 17 women, has been awarded life imprisonment by a court in Telangana’s Jogulamba-Gadwal district.

Yerukali Srinu, 47, who used to target women after befriending them at toddy shops, was awarded the sentence in one of the murder cases.

Third Additional District Magistrate held him guilty and on Thursday sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder of Chitti Alivelamma, 53.

The serial killer was arrested in 2019 in Alivelamma’s murder case. The investigation revealed that he killed 16 other women in the last one decade. Srinu’s wife Salamma was also arrested for stocking the stolen property.

Liquor-addict Srinu would befriend women coming to toddy shops to drink, take them out to isolated places in the name of picnic and after drinking with them, would kill them and decamp with their gold and silver ornaments.

Srinu, who had also murdered his own brother, was finally caught when police cracked the murder case of Alivelamma, whose body was found on December 17, 2019 near a village in Mahabubnagar district.

The police investigation had revealed that the accused targetted lone women at toddy shops at various places in Rangareddy and Mahabubnagar districts.

Srinu was convicted and jailed in a few criminal cases. In 2009, he was sentenced for life for killing his brother but was given remission in 2013 for good conduct in jail. However, there was no change in him.

He continued to indulge in drinking and committing crimes.

He was acquitted in 11 cases. Police have appealed against his acquittal. IANS