HYDERABAD: The person who knew that coal contractor Raja Rao would be carrying Rs. 35 lakhs plotted the latter's murder, the police reportedly learnt on Tuesday.

The person in question was working for a Vijayawada-based financier and got the murder executed through two hired assassins, police sources said.

While one of them, Prasada Rao was already rounded up having accidentally sustained knife injuries while attacking the contractor, his accomplice is still at large.

"We understand the coal supplier asked the financier in Vijayawada to deliver the money in Hyderabad. We are not sure whether this is part of a hawala transaction," a police officer associated with the investigation said. The financier sent the money through his worker who came to city carrying the cash in an RTC bus.

The financier's employee hatched a plan to steal the money and contacted Prasada Rao and his accomplice. "Initially, he planned the robbery at Vijayawada but dropped the idea sensing the needle of suspicion will point towards him naturally," the investigator said.

`Killers alerted'

On reaching his office at Minister road in Secunderabad, he called up Raja Rao to come and collect the cash. Simultaneously, he alerted the hired killers. Rao and his assistant Narayanamurthy drove to Ministers' road in their car.

"We're told that this was the first time Rao came to that office and initially got confused about its location," the detectives said.

When the duo collected the cash and got down the staircase, Prasada Rao and his associate sprinkled chilli powder on them and stabbed indiscriminately.

While the contractor died on the spot, Narayanamurthy escaped with some wounds. With Prasada Rao accidentally suffering knife injuries, his accomplice fled the spot.

One held at Manikonda

Meanwhile, the financier's worker came down, collected the suitcase containing cash and ran away along with another colleague leaving some Rs. 9 lakhs currency bundles at the scene. Based on the confessional statement made by Prasada Rao from hospital bed, the sleuths picked up one more person from Manikonda on city outskirts.

Central Zone DCP B. Srinivasulu, however, said the exact motive behind the murder and role of different persons is yet to be ascertained.

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