Police in Telangana alleged that two minor former students murdered Nalgonda school principal Roopa Reddy at her home while attempting to steal cashCCTV footage, her final ‘Babu’ clue and bloodstained notes recovered from one accused helped investigators crack the case.
Published: August 19, 2026, 11:39 PM IST
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A horrifying murder took place in Telangana where two school students killed their principal in cold bloodImage Credit: @NalgondaCop/X
In a blood-curdling incident, a Class 10 student in Telangana allegedly stabbed his school principal 27 times and killed her after entering her home to commit theftThe boy, identified as JCL1 (Juvenile in Conflict with Law), was linked to the crime after blood-stained cash and a phone were recovered.
Nalgonda district Superintendent of Police Sharat Chandra Pawar told reporters on Wednesday that two tenth standard students (both aged 16) were apprehended in connection with the murder of Kallu Rupa Reddy (50) on August 11Rupa Reddy was found dead at her residence in Kondamallepally mandal in the district on the morning of August 12She was alone at home then.
How did the murder come to light?
The brutal murder came to light when her husband, who was away in Hyderabad, informed neighbours when she did not respond to his phone callsThe neighbours alerted police, who found her deadPolice, who launched a thorough investigation, tried to get a breakthrough on the basis of forensic evidence, fingerprints, CCTV camera footage, verification of local rowdy-sheeters and by deploying a dog squad.
With CCTV footage showing a man wearing a red coloured hoodie entering the house, police searched the footage of 70 CCTV cameras, a police release saidAbout five teams comprising 40 policemen were involved in the investigation and over 80 suspects were questioned.
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Police got a lead when they found that Rupa Reddy uttered the word ‘babu’ while on a phone conversation with her aunt before the phone was switched offAs ‘babu’ could be used to address students, police started looking into the involvement of Rupa Reddy’s school students in the murder.
Police finalised a list of five class 10 students who remained absent from schoolIt was found that two of them were spending a lot of money in the last few days and throwing partiesPolice grew suspicious about them, and they were apprehended on Wednesday morningOne of them was in possession of Rs 1.54 lakh and an IphoneThough the boy (JCL 1 -Juvenile in Conflict with Law) claimed that his parents gave him the money, blood stains were found on the currency notesDuring interrogation, they confessed that they murdered Rupa Reddy as per a plan, Pawar said.
Why was the principal targeted?
JCL1, who was staying in the hostel of the private school, bore a grudge against Rupa Reddy as she found fault with him about 20 days ago when money and a cell phone were found in his bagHe was also asked to vacate the hostel and made a day scholar, the police official said.
The JCL1, who was in the habit of consuming alcohol and wanted to have a two-wheeler, planned to commit a theft in Rupa Reddy’s house as he knew that she would have money by the 10th of every month after collecting school feesThe JCL1 and JCL2 planned the theft for five days and conducted a recce of her homeThey also purchased glovesJCL1, who entered the house on the evening of August 11 by jumping over the wall, grabbed Rs 2.50 lakh kept in the bedroom and started fleeing.
However, when Rupa Reddy identified him, he stabbed her 27 times with a knifeHe also took away her phone before leaving the houseJCL2 kept a watch outsidePawar said Rs 1.54 lakh in cash, an iPhone (purchased by JCL1), and Rupa Reddy’s phone were recovered from himReplying to a query, the police official said the main plan of the JCLs was to commit theftHowever, JCL1 killed her as he feared that Rupa Reddy would complain to the policeThe two JCLs searched a video-sharing platform on how to earn money quickly before executing their planThe other key evidence against the JCLs was CCTV cameras showing the suspect to be of the same build and structure, Pawar added.
