A shocking murder in Visakhapatnam has left residents stunned. A woman allegedly killed her mother-in-law after learning methods of murder from YouTube videos. The incident happened on November 7 in Appannapalem near Vepagunta.
The accused, identified as Jayanthi Lalitha Devi, lived with her husband, local priest Jayanthi Subrahmanyam, at Varshini Apartments. The victim was 63-year-old Jayanthi Kanaka Mahalakshmi. The family also included Lalitha’s two children, her mother, her aunt Akella Chayadevi, and a nephew, S. Sarath.
According to police, Lalitha poured petrol on her mother-in-law and set her on fire, killing her on the spot. She initially told neighbours that the elderly woman caught fire due to an electrical short circuit near the television.
ACP Prithvi Teja and Satish Kumar later revealed that Lalitha had long held a grudge against her mother-in-law for allegedly spreading lies and causing family fights. Enraged, Lalitha reportedly searched for “How to Kill an Old Lady” on YouTube.
On November 6, she bought petrol and hid it in the house. The next morning, after her husband left for work, she asked her children to play hide-and-seek with their grandmother. While her own mother was bathing, Lalitha tied Kanaka Mahalakshmi to a chair, blindfolded her, and set her ablaze after turning up the TV volume to mask the screams.
The victim tried to escape but collapsed near the prayer room with fatal burns. One of Lalitha’s daughters also suffered injuries while trying to help. Police later confirmed Lalitha’s confession after finding her online search history. She has been arrested and sent to judicial remand.
