Hyderabad:
The police in Telangana’s Nalgonda have cracked the sensational murder case of a 48-year-old school principal and arrested two students who allegedly planned the crime for money and lavish lifestyle.
The victim, Kallu Roopa Reddy, the principal and director of Nagarjuna Public School in Kondamallepally, was found dead with 27 stab wounds at her residence on the morning of August 12. Her body was recovered when her husband, who was away in Hyderabad, informed neighbours that she was not responding to his phone calls. The neighbours alerted the police, who found her dead.
The police then formed five teams and examined CCTV footage, forensic evidence, fingerprints, technical data and the movements of suspects and questioned over 80 people.
‘Babu’ Word Led To Students
The investigators got a lead when they found that Rupa Reddy used the word ‘babu’ during a call with her aunt before the phone was switched off.
“The last word recorded during her conversation was ‘Babu’. We investigated who she could have been referring to, and this led us towards the school students,” senior police officer Sharath Chandra Pawar told reporters on Wednesday.
The investigators then questioned students individually and zeroed in on five class 10 students who remained absent from school. They found out that two of them were spending a lot of money in the last few days and throwing parties.
The two students were then detained on Wednesday morning, and during interrogation, they confessed that they murdered Rupa Reddy as per a plan, Pawar said.
Principal Had Pulled Up Accused
The officer said the accused had previously been reprimanded by Rupa Reddy after cash and a mobile phone were found in their hostel bags.
She informed their parents, and they were shifted from the hostel to day-scholar status.
Police suspect this may have contributed to resentment against the principal.
Bought Gloves To Hide Identity
The accused planned the theft for five days and conducted a recce of her home. They bought a knife and also purchased gloves to hide their identities, leaving investigators with limited physical evidence initially.
On the day of the murder, one of the students entered the house, wearing a monkey cap and gloves. He found Rs 2.50 lakh kept in the bedroom and started fleeing.
The monkey cap, however, slipped, and Roopa Reddy recognised him. Fearing that she would identify them, he stabbed her 27 times with a knife.
After the murder, the accused took cash and attempted to conceal evidence by burying blood-stained clothing and the monkey cap. They also reportedly went on a trip to Goa.
Rs 1.54 lakh cash, including some currency notes with blood stains, an iPhone purchased by the accused and Rupa Reddy’s phone were recovered from the accused.
The two accused had also searched a video-sharing platform for how to earn money quickly before executing their plan.
