Telangana student’s death looked like suicide — until police checked CCTV and arrested lecturer

Dubai: The death of a 20-year-old engineering student in Telangana, initially believed to be suicide, has turned into an alleged murder case after CCTV footage and phone records led police to her former lecturer.

Tandhra Akshitharani was allegedly forced to consume pesticide and then made to write a suicide note to make her death appear self-inflicted, according to reports by NDTV and The Times of India.

Akshitharani, who was pursuing a BE in mining at Osmania University, died at a government hospital on September 13, a day after the alleged attack.

Police have arrested Jetty Naveen Kumar, 38, her former lecturer, in connection with her death. Bommakanthi Ravikumar, 35, an overman at a Singareni coal mine, has been arrested separately in connection with allegations of sexual assault.

Akshitharani had completed her diploma at Singareni Polytechnic in Naspur, where Naveen was working as a contract lecturer.

Police said the two became close and Naveen, who was living separately from his wife, allegedly told Akshitharani that he would marry her.

After completing her diploma, she joined Osmania University to study mining engineering. As part of her course, she undertook a 12-day internship at a coal mine in Godavarikhani earlier this year.

It was there that she came into contact with Ravikumar, an overman at the mine who introduced himself as a former student of her polytechnic and of Naveen, according to TOI.

Police said Akshitharani later complained to Singareni management about Ravikumar, prompting an internal inquiry. Ravikumar has also been accused of sexually assaulting her.

Investigators allege that after Naveen learnt about Akshitharani and Ravikumar, he developed a grudge and decided to kill her.

On September 12, Naveen allegedly picked up Akshitharani in his car and drove around with her before forcing her to consume pesticide.

Police allege he then made her write a suicide note in an attempt to make it appear that she had taken her own life.

As her condition deteriorated, Naveen allegedly used Akshitharani’s phone to call her father and inform him about her condition. He then took her to a government hospital and fled, police said.

Akshitharani died during treatment the following day.

What initially appeared to investigators to be a case of suicide began to unravel as police examined CCTV footage, call detail records and other technical evidence.

The digital trail helped investigators reconstruct Akshitharani’s movements and eventually identify Naveen as the main accused in her death.

He was subsequently arrested in Godavarikhani. Police also seized a car and mobile phones as part of the investigation.

Ravikumar, meanwhile, was arrested in connection with the separate sexual assault case and remanded in judicial custody.

Police said the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Akshitharani’s death and the allegations against Ravikumar is continuing.