The Kadapa district police have busted the mystery behind the three bodies that were found in a highly putrefied condition on Guvvalacheruvu ghat road some 10 days ago.
All the deceased were tribal workers from Annamayya district who died of illness after using contaminated water from a canal in Sedam Taluk in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka, the police said, while referring to the information shared by an eyewitness. The police denied any foul play in the case.
The deceased have been identified as Pasupunati Chenchaiah (60), Chiramchetti Chenchuramaiah (25) and Buraga Bharathi (25), all of them tribal workers hailing from Gorlamudiveedu in Rayachoti mandal.
The Chintakommadinne police registered a case after the bodies were found by Ippenta VRO M. Prathap Reddy on July 13.
Kadapa Superintendent of Police K.K.N. Anburajan formed eight teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Kadapa Town) B.V. Siva Reddy that launched the investigation in Kadapa and Annamayya districts, besides in some parts of Telangana and Karnataka.
The teams achieved a breakthrough when they zeroed in on Chalamacharla Basavaiah, a labour agent by profession and an eyewitness in the case.
According to police, it was Basavaiah who took the tribal workers to Sedam taluk for work pertaining to chopping thorny bushes to make charcoal. The workers reached Sedam taluk on July 1.
In the absence of potable drinking water facility, the workers dug up a small trench to draw water from a canal and used it. After a few days , they all fell ill, allegedly owing to water contamination, the police said.
With complains of dizziness and vomiting, the workers consulted a local Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP). “The poor tribal workers, however, preferred not to visit a government hospital as they did not have any valid identity proof,” the SP told the media here on Friday.
Basavaiah told the police that he decided to bring back the ill workers, who se condition was deteriorating, to their native villages in an autorickshaw. However, they all died on the way.
The three workers died one after another when the autorickshaw reached Narayanpet, Mahaboobnagar and Alampur in Telangana.
After Basavaiah reached their village, the residents turning him away fearing spread of infection. With no option in sight, Basavaiah, in the presence of relatives of the deceased, dumped the bodies on the ghat road.
“No foul play is involved in this case,” Mr. Anburajan said and appreciated the special teams for solving the cases.
