A 48-year-old school principal was stabbed to death by unidentified people at her residence in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, police said, adding that people known to the victim might have killed her.
The incident happened at JB Colony of Kondamallepally mandal headquarters on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Kallu Roopa Reddy, 48, principal and director of Nagarjuna Grammar English Medium School in Kondamallepally.
According to the police, Roopa Reddy had gone to Hyderabad with her husband Kallu Rajender Reddy during the three-day holiday beginning Saturday. As Rajender Reddy had some work in Hyderabad, she returned alone to Kondamallepally on Tuesday morning and attended school.
“She remained at the school until around 5.30 pm and returned home, which is closer to the school, telling her colleagues that some friends were expected to visit her. However, she did not come to the school on Wednesday and when her husband called her, he could not reach her,” Devarakonda deputy superintendent of police MV Srinivas Rao told reporters.
The husband then contacted tenants staying in their house and asked them to check on his wife. When they went to the house and repeatedly called out to her without receiving a response, they informed him.
{{/usCountry}}The husband then contacted tenants staying in their house and asked them to check on his wife. When they went to the house and repeatedly called out to her without receiving a response, they informed him.
{{/usCountry}}Rajender Reddy contacted Chintapalli sub-inspector Rammurthy, who lives next to their house, and requested him to check the residence. The SI, accompanied by neighbours, went to the house and found Roopa Reddy lying in a pool of blood.
Police subsequently reached the scene and examined the premises with a dog squad. “The victim had suffered about 27 stab wounds, indicating the brutality of the attack. No cash or valuables were missing from the house, ruling out theft as an apparent motive at this stage,” said the DSP, who along with inspector Naveen Kumar and sub-inspector Ajmeer Ramesh, rushed to the spot.
The police are examining the possibility that people familiar to Roopa Reddy may have committed the murder. Family disputes and other possible motives are also being investigated.
A case was registered based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s son, Abhinav Reddy, and further investigation is under way, Srinivas Rao said.