Visakhapatnam police have arrested Vanka Jyothi, 26, and Vadamodula Nookaraju, 27, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in connection with the December 2022 murder of Jyothi’s husband, Vanka Pydiraju.

According to police, Jyothi allegedly mixed sedatives into her husband’s food, after which Nookaraju allegedly strangled him with assistance from another accused, K. Bhooloka. Investigators said the body was transported to Visalakshinagar and later taken by ambulance to a cremation ground in Peda Waltair.

The three accused were arrested in January 2023, but Nookaraju and Jyothi allegedly stopped appearing before the court. Non-bailable warrants were subsequently issued against them.

Police said the pair travelled to Chennai and then to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, eventually staying on Swaraj Dweep under assumed identities with allegedly forged Aadhaar cards. A special team from Visakhapatnam tracked them down and arrested them on October 9, 2026.

Following their arrest, the accused were produced before a court in Port Blair, which issued a transit warrant for their transfer to Visakhapatnam. Police also arranged for Jyothi’s two children to return by air and be handed over to relatives.

The case remains a matter for the courts, and the allegations against the accused should not be treated as a final finding of guilt.