The prosecution said the murder was the culmination of simmering tensions within the family, centred on Maruthi's pension and financial disputes.It was a foul smell that first drew attention to the house in Hyderabad’s Moula Ali locality. When neighbours entered the premises on August 18, 2019, they found the dismembered remains of retired Railways employee Maruthi Suthar (70) stored in plastic buckets — a discovery that would unravel a murder conspiracy involving his wife, son and daughter.Seven years later, a Telangana court on Monday sentenced Maruthi’s son, Kishan Rahul Suthar (47) and daughter, Prapulla (36), to death, while awarding life imprisonment to their mother, Ganga Bai (65), for her role in the crime.The Principal District and Sessions Court in Medchal-Malkajgiri district found the three guilty of conspiring to murder Maruthi and attempting to conceal the crime by dismembering his body and storing the remains in six newly purchased buckets.The prosecution said the murder was the culmination of simmering tensions within the family, centred on Maruthi’s pension and financial disputes.According to investigators, Kishan, who was unemployed, frequently quarrelled with his father over money. Maruthi had purportedly become reluctant to hand over his pension after repeated demands from his son. His daughter, too, allegedly harboured resentment over what she viewed as her father’s unwillingness to share his pension income with the family.The prosecution argued that the siblings blamed his alleged alcoholism and abusive behaviour when intoxicated for the strained relationship and eventually drew their mother into a plan to kill him.Police said the family used poison extracted from the datura plant and mixed it into Maruthi’s food in small quantities over several days until he died. The investigation also uncovered evidence that the accused had watched online videos on painless methods of killing before carrying out the crime.Story continues below this adAfter Maruthi’s death, the family allegedly faced a new problem: disposing of the body without attracting attention in a densely populated neighbourhood.Investigators said they purchased six plastic buckets, dismembered the body and stored the remains inside them. The plan began to unravel when neighbours noticed a strong odour coming from the house and confronted the family.Despite objections from Kishan and Prapulla, some residents entered the house and discovered the buckets containing the body parts, leading to the police investigation that exposed the alleged conspiracy.Pronouncing the sentence, Principal District and Sessions Judge V Bala Bhaskar Rao held that the case fell within the “rarest of rare” category, warranting capital punishment.Story continues below this adWhile the brother and sister were sentenced to death, their mother, Ganga Bai, was sentenced to life imprisonment. The three had been convicted on May 20. Apart from the sentences for murder, the court also imposed additional prison terms for criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More Tags:Hyderabad