Class 10 student allegedly stabs school principal 27 times after she recognises him during theft

Two Class 10 students have been apprehended in connection with the killing of a school principal in Telangana's Nalgonda district, with police alleging that one of the boys stabbed her 27 times after she recognised him during an attempt to steal money from her house.

Kallu Roopa Reddy, 50, principal of a private school in Kondamallepally, was killed at her residence on August 11. The two boys, both aged 16, have been identified by police as juveniles in conflict with law and will be dealt with under the juvenile justice system.

Police said the students had allegedly planned to steal money believed to have been kept at Reddy's residence. The investigation gathered momentum after officers recovered Rs 1.54 lakh in cash with bloodstains from one of the juveniles, along with mobile phones. Forensic examination subsequently linked the blood on the currency to the victim, according to police.

Principal recognised masked student

According to Nalgonda Superintendent of Police Sharath Chandra Pawar, the two students allegedly planned the theft several days before the incident and conducted a reconnaissance of Reddy's house. Investigators believe they knew that money collected as school fees could be kept at the residence. On August 11, the boys allegedly went to the house after returning from school. Police said one of them covered his face and entered the premises by scaling a compound wall.

During the attempted theft, however, his mask allegedly came off and Reddy recognised him. Police allege that the student, fearing that she would identify him and lodge a complaint, attacked her with a knife and stabbed her 27 times. The two subsequently fled with cash and her mobile phone. Reddy was found dead the following morning after her husband, who was in Hyderabad, became concerned when she stopped responding to his calls and contacted neighbours. Police were then alerted.

Last word ‘Babu’ gives police crucial lead

A crucial breakthrough came from Reddy's final telephone conversation with her aunt. Police learnt that shortly before the attack, Reddy had used the word “Babu”. Investigators subsequently established that she frequently used the term while addressing male students at her school.

That prompted officers to examine whether students could have been involved in the killing. The school had remained closed for four days following Reddy's death. When it reopened, investigators examined the students who were absent and eventually narrowed their attention to five Class 10 students. Two of them attracted suspicion after police received information that they had recently been spending unusually large amounts of money and hosting parties for friends.

Blood-stained cash becomes key evidence

During questioning, police recovered Rs 1.54 lakh from one of the juveniles. The boy initially claimed that the money had been given to him by his parents. Investigators, however, noticed bloodstains on the currency notes and sent them for forensic testing.

Police said the examination established that the blood belonged to Reddy. Investigators also recovered an iPhone and the principal's mobile phone from the accused. The recovery became one of the strongest pieces of evidence in an investigation that had initially considered several possible angles.

Five teams probe murder

Police constituted five special teams comprising around 40 personnel to investigate the case. Officers examined footage from nearly 70 CCTV cameras and questioned more than 80 suspects. Investigators also used forensic evidence, fingerprints and a dog squad and verified the movements of known offenders in the area before turning their attention towards the students.

One CCTV recording showed a person in distinctive clothing moving near the house, giving investigators another clue about the suspect's build and movements. Police said the two juveniles were apprehended on Wednesday after investigators pieced together the CCTV evidence, the victim's last conversation and their recent spending.

Police probe alleged motive

Investigators are also examining events at the school before the killing. According to police, Reddy had earlier found cash and a mobile phone in the belongings of one of the students while he was staying in the school hostel. His parents were informed and he was subsequently shifted from the hostel and made a day scholar.

Police suspect that the episode had caused resentment.

Investigators have also alleged that one of the boys was accustomed to alcohol, had an interest in motorcycles and had travelled to Goa about a month before the killing. Police said the students wanted money to support an expensive lifestyle. Both tested negative for marijuana, according to the district police chief.

The two boys will be produced before the appropriate Juvenile Justice authorities as police proceed with the case.

Investigators are now seeking to complete the evidentiary chain surrounding the planning of the alleged theft, the killing and the money and phones recovered after the crime.