A tragic incident unfolded in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district, where a 36-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh allegedly killed his three children before taking his own life. The man, identified as Gutta Venkateswarlu, a fertilizer shop owner from the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, is suspected to have committed the heinous act due to domestic disputes.
Venkateswarlu had a quarrel with his wife on August 30, after which he left home with his three children. The children were identified as 8-year-old Mokshita, 6-year-old Lucky, and 4-year-old Sivadharmateja. The next day, he traveled to Hajipur of Achampet in Nagarkurnool district. On August 31, he allegedly set ablaze his younger children near Suryatanda in Uppanuthala Mandal, and later killed his elder daughter at Thandra near Achampet.
The incident came to light when locals discovered Venkateswarlu's body on Wednesday morning near Burakunta of Veldanda Mandal. A search operation was launched, leading to the discovery of the children's bodies in different locations within the Nagarkurnool district. The bodies of the two younger children were found partially burnt in a grove near Surya Thanda, off the Srisailam-Hyderabad highway, while the body of the elder daughter was recovered, also partially burnt, 30 km away near Thanda village. Police indicated the children's bodies were in a decomposed state.
According to police, after leaving his home, CCTV footage showed Venkateswarlu traveling with all three children on a two-wheeler. Later footage captured him with only the eldest daughter. This helped police to narrow down their search. Investigators believe that Venkateswarlu consumed a poisonous substance in Achampet. A missing complaint had already been lodged in Andhra Pradesh when the family could not be traced.
Authorities have registered a case at the Veldanda police station based on a complaint by Venkateswarlu's brother, Mallikarjuna Rao. Preliminary investigations suggest that domestic disputes were the motive behind the killings and suicide. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of death for the children and to gather more details about the events leading up to the tragedy. The police have registered a case under section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in Veldanda police station. BNSS section 194 outlines the police procedure for investigating unnatural deaths, suicides, and accidents.
This is not an isolated incident. In March 2025, a man in Andhra Pradesh killed his two sons due to concerns about their academic performance before also dying by suicide.
