Telangana mother kills 3 kids to start new life with school friend: 'One by one, she suffocated them with towel'

Sangareddy murder: Rajitha confessed to the crime and revealed Shiva’s involvement (Courtesy: X)

A 30-year-old woman allegedly killed her three children in a bid to marry her former classmate at Ameenpur in Sangareddy, police officials said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Paritosh Pankaj said that the case initially appeared to be of food poisoning. However, upon investigation, the police found that the accused, Rajitha, a teacher at a private school, had strangled her three children, Sai Krishna (12), Madhu Priya (10) and Goutam (8), at their home in the Patancheru Assembly constituency.

Rajitha, married to Chennaiah, a 50-year-old water tanker driver, in 2013, was reportedly unhappy in her marriage due to frequent conflicts. Nearly six months ago, she reconnected with her former classmate Shiva Kumar during a Class 10 reunion planning. Their relationship developed into an affair, and they decided to marry and start a new life together. Shiva allegedly insisted that Rajitha leave her children behind, prompting her to plan their murder.

On March 27, Rajitha informed Shiva of her decision at around 6 pm. According to the police, Shiva supported Rajitha’s plan. “One by one, she suffocated her children to death using a towel,” the SP added.

Later that night, when Chennaiah returned home, Rajitha feigned stomach pain and claimed the children had lost consciousness after eating curd rice for dinner. She and the children were rushed to the hospital by Chennaiah and neighbours, where the children were declared dead. Postmortem results ruled out food poisoning and led investigators to suspect foul play.

Under interrogation, Rajitha confessed to the crime and revealed Shiva’s involvement. Both were arrested and remanded in judicial custody for the murders.