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A woman survived for 21 hours after being shoved into well
Accused is said to have owed debt amounting to the average two year salary for where he resides
Gambling Debt is being blamed after Dhamma Dinesh Reddy is being accused of kidnapping Gangadhara Laxmi, 55, and pushing her into a well. The woman survived the harrowing ordeal. She was trapped in the well for 21 hours.
Investigators said the accused had accumulated nearly ₹4 lakh in debt through online gambling and betting.
The incident occurred in a remote agricultural portion of Telangana's Karimnagar district.
Karimnagar district, also known as district of karim, is one of the 33 districts of the Indian state of Telangana. Karimnagar city is its administrative headquarters. The district shares boundaries with Peddapalli, Jagityal, Sircilla, Siddipet, Jangaon, Hanamkonda district and Jayashankar Bhupalapally districts.
Police say Reddy, a student, robbed the woman first and attempted to eliminate her as a witness to the crime. Police further state that the suspect planned the robbery while struggling with mounting debts after losing what equates to just over USD$4000 from online gambling and betting platforms, according to an NDTV report.
₹4 lakh equates to approximately 22 months of average per-capita income (nearly two years' worth) for those living in this region of India by some estimates.
The case began as a missing person's report on July 1 and evolved into something far more sinister.
The investigation took a dramatic turn the following morning when police received a Dial-100 call from the outskirts of Nustulapur village. Villagers had rescued Lakshmi from a deep agricultural well after she spent nearly a day trapped inside.
"On the first night, we received only a missing case report. Her son lodged a complaint saying his mother, a daily wage worker, had not returned home. At that stage, there was no suspicion against anyone, so we registered a normal missing complaint," Karimnagar Police Commissioner Ghaus Alam told NDTV.
Police soon received a Dial-100 call from the outskirts of Nustulapur village the next morning. Villagers had rescued Lakshmi from a deep agricultural well after she spent nearly a day trapped inside.
After being rescued, Lakshmi told investigators that a stranger had approached her and offered her work at his farm.
“He booked a Rapido bike and took her towards Thimmapur village in the district. Since he could not find a secluded place there because of CCTV cameras and public movement, he shifted her onto his own motorcycle and took her to a remote road near Nustulapur village,” Ghaus Alam added.
Lakshmi survived through her ability to swim and reach a cable attached to the motor pipeline where she clung to it throughout the night.
"She remained inside the well for almost 20 to 21 hours. Because the area was completely isolated, nobody heard her cries until the next morning when local farmers rescued her," Ghaus Alam said.
Following her rescue, police formed a special investigation team and traced the suspect using Rapido booking records, CCTV footage and mobile phone analysis.
"We examined the Rapido rider, verified technical evidence and CCTV footage, and successfully identified and arrested the accused. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime," the Commissioner said.
Police have arrested Dhamma Dinesh Reddy and produced him before the court for further legal proceedings.
If prosecutors prove the allegations, the most serious offense would likely be attempt to murder under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 (which replaced the former IPC provision) with up to a ten year sentence possible.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
