Nalgonda SP Sharat Chandra Pawar holding a press convention over the case on Wednesday.
A single phrase uttered by faculty principal Kallu Rupa Reddy shortly earlier than her cellphone went silent turned the unlikely breakthrough within the homicide investigation that led Nalgonda police to suspect two of her college students.
Ms. Rupa Reddy, principal of Nagarjuna Grammar Idea Faculty in Kondamallepally, was murdered at her home on August 11. She was discovered with 27 stab wounds at her home in JB Colony, the mandal headquarters. She lived together with her husband, Rajender Reddy, who was in Hyderabad on work when the incident occurred.
District SP Sharath Chandra Pawar constituted 5 particular groups, comprising round 40 police personnel, and ordered a scientific investigation into the case. Investigators examined forensic proof, fingerprints, canine squad stories, CCTV footage, technical information and the actions of suspects. Greater than 80 folks have been questioned and photographs from round 70 CCTV cameras overlaying an space inside a 30-km radius was examined.
The one-word clue
Shortly earlier than her homicide, Ms. Rupa Reddy was chatting with her aunt over the cellphone and uttered the phrase ‘Babu’ earlier than the cellphone was switched off. Police later learnt that she habitually addressed college students at her faculty as ‘Babu’, prompting investigators to show their consideration to college students.
The college had remained closed for six days following the principal’s demise. As soon as it reopened, police questioned college students individually and stored a watch on some who had remained absent for 2 days. 5 college students who had just lately displayed indicators of a sudden change in life-style got here below explicit scrutiny.
The cash path
Investigators subsequently matched CCTV footage from the crime scene with the suspected college students and gathered details about their actions. On Wednesday, police intercepted two 16-year-old college students of Class X close to Doniyala Crossroad at round 11.30 a.m. as they have been travelling by bike from Pendlipakala Crossroad in the direction of Mallepalli.
“A search led to ₹1.54 lakh being discovered hid of their undergarments. Three of the ₹500 notes had bloodstains. When questioned in regards to the cash, the 2 allegedly confessed to killing Ms. Rupa Reddy and stealing money from her home,” mentioned the SP.
The officer defined that the 2 juveniles have been college students of the identical faculty and shared a hostel room.
They allegedly browsed social media and YouTube for methods to make fast cash. They bought an iPhone price ₹60,000 with the stolen cash and the remainder was spent on miscellaneous issues.
The principal had caught them with mobiles and a few unaccounted money within the hostel the earlier month and reprimanded them within the presence of their mother and father, police mentioned. The 2 allegedly held a grudge towards her and later determined to focus on her, believing she stored a considerable amount of money at dwelling.
Homicide plan
Police mentioned the duo performed reconnaissance round the home for per week and researched methods to hold out the homicide with out leaving a digital path. On Tuesday, one among them allegedly went dwelling from faculty to gather a pink hoodie and trousers. The 2 then bought a knife and gloves in Kondamallepally.
On the day of the homicide, they allegedly reached a water tank close to Ms. Rupa Reddy’s home, with one retaining watch whereas the opposite entered via the open kitchen door. Police mentioned the 2 then attacked the principal with knives and took ₹2.5 lakh from the bed room earlier than escaping by leaping over the rear wall and fleeing via a abandoned space.
The accused allegedly discarded the knife, gloves, masks and a cell phone in bushes, modified their garments a brief distance away and threw the pink hoodie right into a drainage canal.
Police recovered ₹1.54 lakh, the deceased’s iPhone, the knife allegedly used within the homicide, gloves, masks and two cell phones from the juveniles.
Printed – August 19, 2026 02:57 pm IST
