Police arrested four more accused, including three key conspirators, in the Nikhil Hadapa murder case, raising the total number of arrests to sixteen.
Superintendent of Police Swathi S. Kumar confirmed the development on Sunday.
The newly arrested accused have been identified as Chintu alias Debashish Bibhar, Pawan Kalp, Sagar Kalp, and Ajay Debarapalli. Police tracked Chintu, Pawan, and Sagar across Visakhapatnam, Goa, and Hubballi before capturing them. Ajay was arrested in Pellanadu district in Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier, police had arrested twelve persons and produced them in court. The investigation revealed that the three conspirators played a crucial role in planning and executing the murder.
On May 9, the accused abducted Nikhil from Rayagada city and shot him near Indiranagar Third Lane. The next morning, police recovered his body from the banks of the Nagavali River near Kandhatumbiguda. Nikhil’s mother, Balama, had earlier lodged a complaint reporting his abduction.
Following the murder, SP Swathi S. Kumar formed multiple police teams to trace the suspects. The investigation uncovered that several accused had fled to different states. Acting on intelligence inputs, police teams conducted raids across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa, successfully apprehending the fugitives.
Police said the investigation continues to identify remaining associates involved in the crime.
