The Nalgonda principal murder investigation has taken a major turn after police traced two 16-year-old juveniles using forensic evidence, CCTV footage and technical data. The 48-year-old principal-cum-director was found dead at her Kondamallepally residence on August 11 after allegedly suffering 27 stab wounds. Police said ₹2.5 lakh and an iPhone were missing. Investigators linked blood-stained ₹500 notes recovered during the probe with the suspects, while the victim’s reported final word, “Babu”, became another key lead in establishing the sequence under investigation.
Nalgonda Principal Murder Case: Final Word, Blood-Stained Rs 500 Notes Led Police to Two Juveniles
The Nalgonda principal murder investigation took a major turn after the police linked the last word of the victim, “Babu”, with the blood-stained currency notes seized from two juveniles aged 16.
Forensic evidence and the last word of the victim have helped the investigators crack the Nalgonda principal murder case, linking two 16-year-old juveniles allegedly involved in the crime.
The 48-year-old principal-cum-director of Nagarjuna Grammar Concept School was found dead at her residence in Kondamallepally mandal of Devarakonda on 11 August, police said.
The victim had suffered 27 stab wounds, the investigators said. After the incident, Rs 2.5 lakh in cash and an iPhone were missing from the residence.
The investigation was hampered by CCTV footage of a young suspect in a red hoodie, gloves and a mask covering his face.
After compiling CCTV footage, forensic evidence, technical data and details obtained from questioning, police finally homed in on two juveniles, both students of Nagarjuna Grammar Concept School.
Investigation Focus Shifted Towards the School
Police said the two juveniles are accused of scouting out the residence about a week before the murder to learn the daily routine of the principal.
Investigators said the juveniles allegedly searched the Internet for information on how to commit murder and avoid getting caught and for ways to make money fast.
Police said before allegedly entering the residence after the victim returned from school, the men purchased surgical gloves, a knife, red hoodies and monkey caps.
Investigators said one juvenile allegedly served as a lookout near a water tank while the other entered the home and hid inside the kitchen.
Police said the victim was speaking to her aunt over the phone when she entered the bedroom after coming home and freshening up.
Investigators said one juvenile began to make toward her bag, but his mask slipped, and the victim was able to identify him before shouting “Babu”.
Police said the suspect allegedly attacked her with a knife before escaping over the back wall with cash and the iPhone.
The juveniles reportedly ditched their hoodies, gloves and knife behind a bush before putting the stolen cash inside their clothing and leaving on a motorcycle.
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Previous School Action Became a Key Investigative Lead
Police said the juveniles had been earlier reprimanded by police after they were allegedly found with mobile phones and unaccounted cash at the school hostel.
The investigators also claimed that one of the phones had videos of a pornographic nature involving girl students. The principal called their parents and initiated disciplinary proceedings after that.
The police said the hostel was searched and the juveniles were removed from the hostel and told to attend the school as day scholars.
Police sources said the juveniles allegedly felt humiliated after being reprimanded and losing possessions, which investigators believe may have fueled resentment.
The investigation took a turn when the victim's aunt told the police that the last word her niece said before the phone connection was cut off was “Babu”.
The police then turned their attention to the school and checked the register to see which pupils had taken leave at about the time of the murder.
According to reports, investigators found that the two juveniles were unable to provide convincing explanations for their recently acquired iPhones and spending money, further raising suspicion.
Blood-Stained Rs 500 Notes Provided the Crucial Evidence
Five special police teams comprising around 40 personnel looked into forensic evidence, fingerprints, CCTV footage, technical information and movements of potential suspects.
About 70 cameras’ footage and interviews with more than 80 people were examined, along with an area approximately 30 kilometers from the scene.
The police looked at several possibilities at first, including potential disputes with the victim’s husband and school staff, before focusing on the school.
The two juveniles were stopped by officers on a motorcycle near Doniyala Crossroad eight days after the investigation was launched after receiving a tip-off.
During the search, Rs 1.54 lakh cash was allegedly found hidden in their undergarments. Police said three recovered Rs 500 notes had blood stains and the smell of dried human blood.
Subsequently, forensic evidence was shown to the juveniles, after which they confessed to the murder, said Superintendent of Police Sharat Chandra Pawar.
Police later recovered the alleged murder weapon, discarded red hoodies from a drainage canal, and the stolen iPhone.
The two juveniles have been produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, and a preliminary assessment will be done as to how the case should proceed under the applicable juvenile justice provisions.
The developments, according to Sprouts News, put the forensic evidence and the victim’s last words at the center of the investigation as authorities move toward the next legal stage.
