World Review

TRAVELLERS' TALES

By Nury Vittachi Issue cover-dated June 14, 2001

THE HAPPY MURDER: Police in a murder investigation in India found they had a list of 150 suspects--and every one of them confessed to the crime. Even the wives of the initial suspects wanted to appear on the list of confessed killers. The bizarre incident in Venkayapalli, a village in Andhra Pradesh, could be described as a rare example of a "happy murder."

For 10 years, a thug called Boya Ventkateswarlu and his two henchmen had terrorized villagers. The threesome, believed to be contract killers, extorted money from men and raped women.

One day, when the gang had gone into nearby Kurnool town, the villagers held a meeting and decided that enough was enough. They lay in wait. When the villains returned, they were set upon with stones and sickles.

Police arrived to find three dead men in a sea of blood--and something possibly unique in the annals of crime. For the murderers had not fled, but were queuing up to take responsibility for the crime. The investigation proved easy, as about 300 people wanted to help police District Superintendent P. S. R. Anjaneyulu with his inquiries.

Fortunately, officers did not feel the need to take the entire population of Venkayapalli into custody. "The villagers assured the police that they would come to the police station whenever they were wanted," The Times of India reported. When a reporter arrived, male and female residents rushed to identify themselves as the murderers. "The murders were carried out to create a peaceful atmosphere in the village," a resident said. Now they could "enjoy life again."

A heinous crime has been committed, and the killers are known--but no one wants to arrest them. "The police are in a dilemma," the newspaper reported.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Answers

Do what is done here....let the murder go!

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

They're all lying! It was aliens!!! They are being mind-controlled by aliens!

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

The police should just drop the whole matter. Seems like they were unable to assist the village when the crimes were going on and the village did what it had to do in order to protect itself.

Barefoot, glad to see you are now keeping your options open in regard to other-reality explanations for these sort of events. Uhhh, you *weren't* making fun of the Unex posts, right?

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

I was giving them a legal out. Just because it didn't work for McVeigh....

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001

Patience, Barefoot. The McVeigh matter isn't over yet. There are lots of documents still to be considered, and videos as well. Some sharp investigative reporter may just decide to do an in depth story about how McVeigh (trained by the military) ended up doing what he did.

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2001