Tragic Aftermath of Telangana Killings: A Survivor's Story

New Delhi, India Jul 14, 2026 ALN: Arpita* was just 16 when she began attending an intermediate college in Shamshabad, located an hour away from her home in Shabad, Telangana. However, her education was abruptly halted when her family decided to confine her to the house due to the harassment she faced from a neighbor, Parvathi Rajkumar, who had been stalking her on her way to school.

To protect her, Arpita's family installed a CCTV camera at home and ensured she was never alone. Despite these precautions, on May 16, she had to go to college for her exams. Accompanied by her mother, Lakshmi, they encountered Rajkumar, who attempted to drag her away. When Lakshmi intervened, he threatened to kill them. The family promptly filed a police complaint, leading to Rajkumar being charged with sexual harassment under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Tragically, two months later, Rajkumar acted on his threats, killing six people in a single night: Arpita (17), her mother Lakshmi (44), her grandmother Rukkamma, his own wife Saritha (32), and their two young sons, four-year-old Parikshit and 18-month-old Daivikshit.

Three days after the July 10 mass murders, Rajkumar was discovered dead near Penjerla village, approximately 30 km from Shabad, with a bottle of herbicide beside him, believed to be a suicide. Police later found a video on his phone recorded hours before the murders, in which he claimed to have sold his land and fallen into debt due to extortion by Arpita's family. However, police reports indicated he had significant gambling debts totaling nearly Rs 2 crore.

Naresh (Raju), Arpita's maternal uncle, expressed his frustration over the police's failure to arrest Rajkumar, alleging they did not take the family's fears seriously. Rajkumar was never apprehended in the POCSO case; the Shabad police initially claimed he was absconding until he secured anticipatory bail a month after the FIR was filed.

In response to public outrage, Sub-Inspector T Ramesh was suspended for his handling of the investigation into the POCSO case. Naresh stated, "Since Arpita’s father died last year, it was just women in the house – my sister, her two daughters, and her mother-in-law. SI Ramesh kept telling us not to worry, that Rajkumar wouldn’t harm us. These deaths are a result of police negligence."

The sole survivor of the massacre was Arpita’s elder sister, Meghana, 19, who has a developmental disorder and is nonverbal. Rajkumar spared Meghana after brutally stabbing her mother and grandmother in front of her and dragging Arpita away to kill her.

Authorities are considering moving Meghana to an institution for persons with disabilities, as she requires full-time care. Meanwhile, in Daivalaguda, Saritha’s brother, Kappera Sanjeeva, expressed disbelief over the brutal killings of his sister and nephews, recalling how Parikshit would sometimes flee from his father in fear.

Months of Fear and Caution Before the Murders

After completing Class 10 at a local school, Arpita enrolled in a junior college in Shamshabad for her intermediate studies in the BiPC stream (Biology, Physics, Chemistry). Her uncle Naresh mentioned that she aspired to pursue a career in medicine and was considering nursing.

Naresh explained, "We wanted her to study and work. We tried to encourage her by getting her the books she needed, since her father wasn’t around." Her father, Mallesh, was an outsourced worker with the electricity department, while her mother, Lakshmi, worked as a daily wage laborer.

Rajkumar had been living next door to Arpita’s family for nearly seven years, having moved there with his parents and wife, Saritha, shortly after their marriage in 2018. Initially, the two families maintained cordial relations. However, once Arpita began attending college, Rajkumar began stalking her, harassing her during her commutes, and forcing her to communicate with him.

Arpita's mother eventually convinced the principal to allow her to take exams directly, as Rajkumar's harassment escalated. After realizing that the family had discovered his behavior, Rajkumar relocated to Daivalaguda, his wife Saritha’s village, while his parents remained in the family-owned house next to Arpita's. Naresh alleged that Rajkumar had installed a CCTV camera outside his house to monitor Arpita's movements.

On May 16, when Arpita had to attend her college exams, Rajkumar appeared at the college and attempted to drag her away. Following the incident, he threatened to kill them, leading to the police complaint that resulted in the POCSO case.

Naresh and Lakshmi went to the Shabad police station to lodge a complaint, but they felt the officers were not taking their concerns seriously. A month passed without Rajkumar's arrest, and he was eventually granted anticipatory bail.

After the murders, the police launched a manhunt, and Naresh, along with relatives and local leaders, protested against the police's inaction. The day after the murders, Naresh and his family were busy organizing a memorial for the deceased, while Meghana sat in the same room where she had witnessed the horrific events unfold.

Rangareddy Collector C Narayana Reddy announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for Meghana, stating that she would need constant support and would be placed in a government-assisted care center for disabled persons.

The Other Family

In Daivalaguda, Sanjeeva reflected on his sister Saritha's life, recalling how she almost married another man before falling in love with Rajkumar. He described Rajkumar as someone who often went into debt due to gambling and had a troubled relationship with Saritha, which escalated after the POCSO case.

Despite attempts by family members to counsel the couple, Rajkumar's behavior remained concerning. Sanjeeva recounted how his nephew Parikshit had expressed fear of his father, which he attributed to Rajkumar's anger issues.

On the morning of July 10, hours before the murders, Sanjeeva spoke with Saritha, who seemed cheerful and was looking forward to her children growing older before returning to work.