‘Money, slipping mask’: Two Class 10 students held for murdering school Principal in Telangana

Hyderabad: Two Class 10 students have been detained for the brutal murder of the Principal and Director of their school in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, police said on Wednesday.

More than a week after 49-year-old Kallu Roopa Reddy, the Director and Principal of the Nagarjuna Public School in Kondamallepally mandal headquarters, was found murdered with 27 stab wounds at her house, police cracked the sensational case.

According to police, the students murdered Roopa Reddy for money, while one of them also had a grudge against her.

Roopa Reddy lived with her husband, Rajender Reddy, who was in Hyderabad on work when the incident occurred.

She was found murdered at her house on the morning of August 12. The body bore 27 stab wounds.

According to police, the couple also owns a house in Hyderabad, where their son, Abhinav Reddy, is pursuing an engineering course.

Roopa Reddy had travelled to Hyderabad with her husband for a three-day holiday. While Rajender Reddy stayed back in Hyderabad due to work commitments, she returned alone to Kondamallepally on August 10. She attended school during the day and remained there until around 6.30 p.m.

She did not come to the school the next day. Rajender Reddy grew suspicious as he was unable to reach her over the phone. He later contacted a police officer, who lives near the couple’s house, and requested him to check on her.

The officer, accompanied by neighbours, went to the house and found Roopa Reddy lying dead.

The murder had created a sensation in the region. Police had questioned more than 50 persons, including her husband, but could not arrive at a conclusion.

However, police got a clue after a close examination of the footage collected from the CCTV near her house. A teenager was found to be loitering near her house.

Based on the clue, the police picked him up and grilled. The suspect then admitted to the crime, stating that the offence was committed for the sake of money.

Two students, wearing masks and hoodies, went to Roopa Reddy’s house on the night of August 11. One of them went into the house and threatened her to hand over the money. As she resisted, his mask came off. On recognising the intruder as her own student, she raised an alarm.

Fearing that he would be caught, the boy attacked her with the knife he was carrying. He repeatedly stabbed her, resulting in her death.

The boy took away Rs.2.20 lakh cash kept in the house and gave Rs.40,000 to the other student waiting outside. Police investigation revealed that the two students spent part of the money at various places.

Police recovered Rs.1.60 lakh cash from the student. Some of the currency notes had blood stains.

The CCTV footage and blood-stained notes helped police crack the murder mystery.

The student also reportedly bore a grudge against the Principal for removing him from the school by issuing a transfer certificate.

IANS