Police arrest railway loco pilot for murder of elderly woman in Tirupati

Superintendent of Police L. Subbarayudu and other officers inspecting the items seized from the accused in the murder of an elderly woman, in Tirupati on Sunday. | Photo Credit: K.V. POORNACHANDRA KUMAR Police arrested a railway loco pilot in connection with the alleged murder of an elderly woman in Tirupati. On July 14, 69-year-old M. Jyothi was allegedly found murdered at her home in Sai Nagar in Tirupati district. According to the police, the accused killed Jyothi in an attempt to steal her 90 grams of gold jewellery and ₹47,000 in cash.Learning about the incident, the police swung into action and gathered evidence using scientific technology that reportedly pointed towards Pasam Rupesh Kumar (36), who hails from Gudipallipadu in Nellore Rural mandal and works as a railway loco pilot at Krishnapatnam station.According to the police, Rupesh allegedly planned to rob the elderly woman to clear his debts. He gained her confidence over time, used that association to gain access into her residence and eventually killed her, before fleeing with the stolen items, the police said.Meanwhile, in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity, Rupesh stole a two wheeler from a colleague, faked the registration number plate, and disguised himself as a burqa-clad woman, in addition to wearing a face mask and a helmet while riding to Tirupati and back to Krishnapatnam.“However, he could not hide the digital footprint, CCTV footage and the surveillance cameras en route to the woman’s residence, which helped us nab him, “ said the Superintendent of Police (SP) L. Subbarayudu while addressing a media conference here on Sunday.The police apprehended the culprit and recovered the ornaments worth ₹12 lakh from his possession. Published - July 26, 2026 08:05 pm IST