Telangana school principal found dead with 27 stab wounds at her home: Police

Kallu Roopa Reddy, principal and director of Nagarjuna Grammar English Medium School in Kondamallepally, suffered around 27 stab wounds in the attack

A 48-year-old school principal was stabbed to death by unidentified people at her residence in Telangana’s Nalgonda district on Wednesday, police said, suspecting that people known to the victim could be behind the murder.

Kallu Roopa Reddy, principal and director of Nagarjuna Grammar English Medium School in Kondamallepally, suffered around 27 stab wounds in the attack. Police said no cash or valuables were missing from the house, ruling out theft as an apparent motive at this stage.

“She lived with her husband, Kallu Rajender Reddy, at their own house in the Colony. The couple also owned a house in Hyderabad, where their son Abhinav Reddy was pursuing engineering, and they frequently travelled between the two places,” Devarakonda deputy superintendent of police M V Srinivas Rao said.

According to the police, Roopa Reddy had gone to Hyderabad with her husband on a three-day holiday on Saturday. As Rajender Reddy had some work in Hyderabad, she returned alone to Kondamallepally on Tuesday morning and attended school.

“She remained at the school until around 5.30 pm and returned home, which is closer to the school, telling her colleagues that some friends were expected to visit her. However, she did not come to the school on Wednesday and when her husband called her, he could not reach her,” Rao said.

He then contacted tenants staying in their house and asked them to check on his wife, but they also received no response.

Rajender contacted Chintapalli sub-inspector Rammurthy, who lives next to their house, and requested him to check the residence. The SI, accompanied by neighbours, went to the house and found Roopa lying in a pool of blood.

Police subsequently examined the premises with a dog squad. “The victim had suffered about 27 stab wounds, indicating the brutality of the attack. No cash or valuables were missing from the house, ruling out theft as an apparent motive at this stage,” Rao said.

The police are examining the possibility that persons familiar with Roopa may have committed the murder. Family disputes and other possible motives are also being investigated.

A case was registered based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s son, Abhinav Reddy, and further investigation is under way, Rao said.

Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.