HYDERABAD: The accused person in the sensational murder of software professional S. Natraj at Kundanbagh turned out to be the latter's roommate in London and cousin Anil, the police said on Wednesday.

Both the cousins flew down from London to Hyderabad on December 2. A week later, they met in Natraj's shared apartment at Kundanbagh. An altercation ensued when Natraj allegedly demanded Anil to introduce his girlfriend and the latter flatly rejected the proposal, Punjagutta ACP L.K. Shinde told reporters.

Beaten up

Enraged over rejection of his request, Natraj began beating up his cousin and even tried to attack him with a knife, the ACP explained. After a scuffle, the victim pinned down Anil and tried to smother him with a pillow.

"Struggling for breath, I managed to snatch the knife from his hands and stabbed him indiscriminately," Anil said when he was presented before mediapersons. Leaving the cousin in a pool of blood, Anil went up the water tank on the terrace carrying a towel, stayed there for some time, came down, washed the bloodstains in the bathroom and escaped by walking down the staircase.

Both Anil and Natraj hailed from Kakinada and left for London to pursue postgraduate programmes in engineering. While Natraj discontinued his studies and took up odd jobs, Anil was studying automobile engineering.

Heated exchanges

The accused person claimed that Natraj once saw him sending e-mails to his girlfriend and started pestering him to give her address since then. "After landing in Hyderabad, he called me to his rented flat saying he had some work. When I went there, he raised the issue again resulting in heated exchanges," he explained.

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