Guntur, January 22: Police in Andhra Pradesh have arrested a woman for the murder of her husband in Chiluvuru village, uncovering a plot involving her extramarital partner. The accused, identified as Lakshmi Madhuri, allegedly suffocated her husband, Lokam Shivanagaraju, after sedating him on the night of January 18. Following the crime, police report that the woman remained in the house alone, consuming adult content on her phone until the early hours of the morning when she raised a false alarm claiming he had suffered a heart attack.

The Murder Plot and Execution

According to Mangalagiri Rural Circle Inspector Venkatabrahman and Duggirala Sub-Inspector Venkataravi, the victim, Shivanagaraju, was an onion trader. He married Lakshmi Madhuri in 2007, and the couple have two sons. Investigators state that Madhuri had developed an affair with a man named Gopi while working at a cinema hall ticket counter in Vijayawada. Seeing her husband as an obstacle to her relationship, Madhuri allegedly orchestrated a plan to eliminate him. Andhra Pradesh Shocker: Man Dies by Suicide in Tirupati After Killing Woman Over Refusal To Continue Extramarital Affair.

On Sunday night, Madhuri reportedly mixed approximately 20 sleeping pills into a serving of biryani. Once Shivanagaraju fell into a deep sleep, Gopi arrived at the residence. Police allege that while Gopi pinned the victim down, Madhuri used a pillow to suffocate him. After confirming his death, Gopi fled the scene.

Discovery of the Crime

The following morning, Madhuri informed neighbours that her husband had died suddenly of a heart attack. However, suspicions arose during the funeral preparations when friends of the deceased noticed blood oozing from his ear. This prompted the victim’s father to file a formal police complaint, leading to a stay on the cremation. A subsequent post-mortem examination proved vital to the investigation. The medical report revealed broken ribs and confirmed death by suffocation, contradicting the wife's claims of a heart attack. Andhra Pradesh Shocker: Woman Kills Minor Daughters, Dies by Suicide in Guntur.

Motivation and Background

The investigation revealed long-standing friction within the marriage. Madhuri reportedly viewed her husband’s business as "shameful" and had previously tried to keep him away by sending him to work for Gopi’s travel business in Hyderabad. When Shivanagaraju returned to Chiluvuru and began working from home, the disputes escalated. Police officials noted that Madhuri’s behaviour immediately following the murder was particularly unusual, as she allegedly spent the hours between the crime and her public "discovery" of the body watching pornographic videos.

Legal Action Against the Accused

Following a detailed interrogation where she reportedly confessed to the crime, Lakshmi Madhuri was taken into custody. Police are currently working to apprehend Gopi, who remains an accused in the case. A murder investigation under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is ongoing.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 22, 2026 06:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).