Tirupati boy murdered after mother leaves him as 'collateral' in Tamil Nadu

The boy's mother, forced to leave him with a duck rearer over a fabricated debt, returned to find her son dead and buried in Tamil Nadu

A 12-year-old tribal boy from Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district was hacked to death after his mother left him as 'collateral' with a duck rearer in Tamil Nadu, according to a report in The Times of India. The duck rearer has been arrested by the police. 

 

The boy was from the Yanadi community. His mother, Anakamma, left him with a duck rearer named Muthu in Tamil Nadu, hoping to reclaim her son once she gathered enough money to repay a debt allegedly owed by her late husband, Chenchaiah.

 

However, she returned to see that her son had been murdered and secretly buried by Muthu in Kanchipuram town.

 

 

According to the report, Anakamma and her husband worked for a year under Muthu in Satyavedu village, Andhra Pradesh. After Chenchaiah’s death, a local man falsely claimed the family owed him ₹25,000. Muthu offered to pay the debt, but only if Anakamma’s family continued working for him.

 

Trapped in bonded labour

 

Grieving and without money, Anakamma agreed. But when she asked for higher wages, Muthu refused. When she sought to leave, he demanded ₹45,000—an inflated, fabricated amount, police said. Unable to pay, Anakamma was forced to leave her son behind as collateral.

 

Anakamma son reportedly made desperate calls to his mother from Muthu's phone, describing long hours and harsh treatment. The last call came on April 15. When Anakamma finally raised the money and returned in early May, Muthu gave shifting explanations—her son had been sent elsewhere, was hospitalised, or had run away.

 

Suspecting foul play, Anakamma approached local police. When initial efforts failed, she reached out to local leaders and then to the Superintendent of Police, Harshavardhan Raju. 

 

A deeper investigation followed, leading to Muthu’s arrest. During questioning, he admitted the boy had died and was secretly buried in Tamil Nadu.