Newsroom, November 10, 2025: In a chilling incident in Appannapalem near Vepagunta, Visakhapatnam, Jayanthi Lalitha Devi allegedly set her 63-year-old mother-in-law, Jayanthi Kanaka Mahalakshmi, ablaze after tying her to a chair in their Varshini Apartments home.
The attack, in the presence of Lalitha's husband, a local priest and children, stemmed from years of family disputes, with Lalitha luring the victim under the guise of a game while cranking up the TV volume to drown out cries. The elderly woman succumbed to severe burns near the prayer room, and one daughter sustained injuries trying to intervene.
Lalitha, who had researched killing methods online the day before, purchased petrol and hid it, initially blaming an electrical fault. Police, led by ACP Prithvi Teja and Satish Kumar, uncovered her search history and arrested her, securing judicial remand.
