Niharika is the alleged girlfriend of Krishna, who had allegedly murdered his friend Naveen last month by strangling and dismembering him.
The deceased Naveen was an Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) student of M G University at Yellareddyguda. (Creative Commons)
Less than two weeks after she was arrested in the bone-chilling Nenavath Naveen murder case, 20-year-old Niharika Reddy was released from the Chanhalguda jail on Sunday, 19 March, after the Ranga Reddy district court granted her bail a day before.
Station House Officer (SHO) of Abdullapurmet police station V Swamy confirmed the release of Niharika to South First.
“The other two accused — 21-year-olds P Harihara Krishna and Prabhaliti Hassain — are still in jail,” Swamy said.
According to the cops, Niharika was the girlfriend of Harihara Krishna, who allegedly murdered his friend Naveen on 17 February and dismembered him.
Naveen was an Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) student of MG University at Yellareddyguda while Krishna was a Mechanical Engineering student.
The police said said Naveen and Niharika were in a relationship, but broke up, after which Krishna started having an affair with her.
During the interrogation, Krishna said he came to know Naveen was trying to get back with Niharika, and that he was constantly calling and messaging her.
A few days before Krishna allegedly murdered Naveen, he called Niharika in Krishna’s presence, which angered Krishna. It was then he planned to kill Naveen, and he murdered him in an act of revenge, the police said.
The deceased’s parents lodged a missing complaint on 18 February at the Abdullapurmet police station.
As per cops, they also asked Krishna, as he was a close friend. But Krishna apparently misled them by saying he had dropped him at Abdullapurmet and later stopped to answer their phone calls.
Niharika was arrested on 6 March for helping Krishna and concealing the crime before he surrendered to the police on 25 February.
According to the police, Krishna met Niharika and informed her about the alleged murder a day after he committed the crime.
He apparently asked that she foot some of the expenses as he was on the run.
“She gave him ₹1,500 and did not inform the police, Naveen’s family, or friends, who were searching for him, or anyone else,” SHO Swamy said.
The police added that Krishna and Niharika met again on 20 February and went to Manneguda near Abdullapurmet, where he showed her the place where he had scattered Naveen’s body parts.
Later, they went to a restaurant and had dinner, after which he reportedly dropped Niharika home.
Krishna collected the decomposed body parts on 24 February and tried to burn them to destroy the evidence with the help of his friend Hassan.
“He went to Niharika’s house in Hastinapuram, took a bath there, and stayed until the evening before turning up at the Abdullapurmet police station and surrendering,” Swamy said.
The cops have booked the accused under Section 302 of IPC as well as SC and ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.
