The manhunt for Parvathi Rajkumar, the prime accused in the gruesome six-member murder case in Shabad, Ranga Reddy district, has come to an end following the discovery of his body near a venture close to Kothur on July 13. Rajkumar had fled after brutally murdering his wife and children along with three others on July 10. Police, alerted by local residents, reached the spot and preliminarily identified the body as Rajkumar’s based on his clothing and CCTV footage. A poison bottle found beside the body led investigators to initially conclude that he had died by suicide.
Delving into the case details, Rajkumar had previously been jailed in a POCSO case and was out on bail. Harbouring a grudge over that case, he brutally murdered a minor girl along with her mother and grandmother. He then fled to his native village, where he slit the throats of his own children and his wife Sarita before escaping. The six murders, all occurring within hours on the same day, sent shockwaves across the state.
During investigation, Sarita’s family members revealed that Rajkumar had married her in 2018, despite her being six years older than him. Working as a driver, Rajkumar had fallen into addictions including betting, gambling, and alcohol, accumulating debts of nearly Rs 2 crore. Unable to bear his daily harassment stemming from his reckless lifestyle, Sarita had sought a divorce. Angered that she stood in the way of his indulgent lifestyle and had asked for a divorce, Rajkumar allegedly planned and carried out the killings of his wife and children in advance.
Police announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for information leading to the fugitive’s whereabouts and deployed 14 special teams to conduct extensive search operations. Investigators analysed CCTV footage from dhabas, lodges, bus stands, and railway stations along the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway. During the search, reports emerged that the accused had headed towards Suryapet, and visuals purportedly showing him attempting suicide by jumping in front of a train before stepping back at the last moment became a major talking point on social media and among police circles.
As he made desperate attempts to evade the police, reports circulated that Rajkumar had consumed pesticide in an attempt to end his life just before he could be apprehended. It was rumoured that he was secretly shifted to a private hospital in an unconscious state for treatment but succumbed despite efforts to save him. However, police denied these claims. It was in this context that his body was eventually found near Kothur.
The case, which had triggered widespread fear and outrage across the state, has effectively come to a close with Rajkumar’s death. Police are expected to issue an official statement soon following the post-mortem examination of the body. Notably, the man who brutally took the lives of his wife, young children, and three others ultimately met his own end as well.