Nearly three days after six people, including a minor girl, were killed in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district, 29-year-old P Rajkumar was found dead on Monday evening, and police suspect him of suicide.
Rajkumar’s body was found in the fields near a real estate project in Benjirla village under Kausar mandal, about 35 km from Hyderabad. The police said that the village was his uncle’s birthplace.
Shivella Deputy Commissioner of Police, Yogesh Gautam, said local residents discovered the body under suspicious circumstances and informed the police through the emergency service Dial-100. The police rushed to the scene, conducted a preliminary investigation, and identified the deceased as Rajkumar.
“An insecticide bottle was found near Rajkumar’s body. Therefore, we suspect that he may have died by suicide by consuming poison,” the PDP said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
Gautam said the police recovered the poison bottle and collected other forensic evidence.
“We are examining all possible angles as part of the investigation,” he added.
Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi, who also reached the village, said the police recovered a bottle of herbicide, Rajkumar’s mobile phone, a bus ticket and some cash from the spot.
“We have to check his travel plans and other details,” Joshi said.
The commissioner said the mobile phone was on airplane mode. During the examination, investigators found a selfie video that Rajkumar apparently recorded a few hours before the killings on Friday.
According to Joshi, Rajkumar had become addicted to online betting and was using as many as 16 SIM cards for betting-related activities. In the two-minute and 26-second video, he said he had fallen into severe debt due to online betting, was disillusioned in life, and claimed he had been severely betrayed by a woman he trusted.
“The video was recorded around 4.55 pm on Friday,” the commissioner said, adding that Rajkumar carried out the murders in cold blood.
Rajkumar, who is out on bail in a case registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act since May 16, allegedly committed the six murders on Friday night.
Apart from the minor girl, the victims have been identified as her mother (45), grandmother (65), Rajkumar’s wife Saritha (33), and their two sons Parikshit (4) and Devikshit (2).
According to the investigation, Rajkumar first entered the minor girl’s house and stabbed her mother and grandmother to death. He then allegedly took the girl to a deserted location, where he slaughtered her. He later returned home and allegedly killed his wife and two young sons, who were sleeping, by slitting their throats, police said.
Police said the six murders were committed within about 30 minutes in three different locations.
Following the killings, the police launched a large-scale search operation involving 14 special teams to track down the fleeing defendants. Searches were conducted at hotels, lodges and roadside restaurants along the Hyderabad-Bengaluru National Highway.
Investigators also examined CCTV footage from bus and railway stations and questioned Rajkumar’s family members and those close to him in a bid to trace him.
The search operation ended on Monday after local residents found Rajkumar’s body in Benjirla village. Police believe he died by suicide before he could be arrested.
The police commissioner said: “We will reveal more details after the completion of forensic and post-mortem examinations.”
