Man held for shooting dead neighbour with country rifle

A quarrel over a ₹2-lakh hand loan allegedly led to the murder of a 26-year-old man at Thummindapalem village of Chittoor mandal.

According to the Chittoor rural police, the victim, K. Sai Kumar, had reportedly lent the amount to a neighbour, K. Dilli Babu, to help him clear his debts. Later, despite repeated requests from Sai Kumar and his family, Dilli Babu refused to repay the money and often threatened him whenever the issue was raised.

On the afternoon of March 4, Sai Kumar approached Dilli Babu near a house under construction in the village and requested repayment, saying that he needed the money for his sister’s marriage. Following a heated argument, Dilli Babu allegedly fetched a country rifle and shot Sai Kumar below the right temple, killing him on the spot.

The accused was arrested on Friday near the Gopalapuram bus stop, and the weapon was seized.