A 36-year-old man from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh killed his three children by setting them ablaze before taking his own life at Uppanuthala mandal in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana. The Nagarkunool police said that domestic disputes appear to have led to the killings.
The deceased was identified as Gutta Venkateswarlu, a fertiliser shop owner and native of Peddaboyapally in Prakasam district. He was married to Deepika and the couple had three children, aged , 8, 6, and 4.
Circle Inspector Vishnuvardhan Reddy from the Veldanda police said that Venkateswarlu allegedly had a quarrel with his wife on August 30, after which he left home with his children. The next day, he travelled to Hajipur of Achampet in Nagarkurnool district. On August 31, he set ablaze younger ones near Suryatanda in Uppanuthala mandal, and later killed his elder daughter at Thandra near Achampet.
A missing complaint had been lodged in Andhra Pradesh after the family could not be traced. Meanwhile, police in Telangana received information about an unidentified body found near Burakunta of Veldanda mandal. “We called the number registered to the vehicle found at the scene and learnt that the family had been reported missing. CCTV footage in Hajipur showed Venkateswarlu travelling with all three children on a two-wheeler. Cameras in Velthur later captured him with only one child, the eight-year-old daughter. A search in the seven-kilometre stretch between the two locations led us to the bodies of the other two children,” explained the officer.
Further checks at Srisailam crossroads showed only Venkateswarlu on the vehicle. Police then expanded their search and recovered the body of the elder daughter in Peddapur under Veldanda limits. Investigators said that he consumed poisonous substances in Achampet. His body was found by locals at Burakunta on Wednesday morning.
Based on a complaint by Venkateswarlu’s brother Mallikarjuna Rao, a case has been registered at Veldanda police station. The investigation revealed that the killings were committed on August 31, and preliminary findings suggest domestic disputes were the reason behind the crime.
(Roshini suicide prevention helpline numbers are: 8142020033/44 and 040 66202000/2001.)
