27 Stab Wounds, Cash and a Goa Trip: Telangana Principal Murder Case Cracked

New Delhi, August 20, 2026 Telangana Police have solved the shocking murder of a 48-year-old school principal in Nalgonda, arresting two Class 10 students who allegedly planned the crime to obtain money and fund a lavish lifestyle. Kallu Roopa Reddy, the principal and director of Nagarjuna Public School in Kondamallepally, was found dead at her residence on August 12 with 27 stab wounds. The case, which initially presented investigators with limited physical evidence, was eventually cracked through a detailed investigation involving CCTV footage, forensic clues, technical data and the questioning of more than 80 people. Police launched a major investigation by forming five teams after Roopa Reddy's husband, who was in Hyderabad, alerted neighbours when she failed to answer his calls. A crucial lead emerged from her final conversation with her aunt, during which she reportedly used the word 'Babu' before her phone was switched off. "The last word recorded during her conversation was 'Babu'. We investigated who she could have been referring to, and this led us towards the school students," senior police officer Sharath Chandra Pawar told reporters on Wednesday. Investigators subsequently questioned students individually and focused on five Class 10 students who had remained absent from school, eventually finding that two of them had recently been spending heavily and hosting parties. According to police, the two students were detained on Wednesday morning and allegedly confessed during questioning that they had carried out the murder according to a planned conspiracy. Police said the students had earlier been reprimanded by Roopa Reddy after cash and a mobile phone were found in their hostel bags. She had informed their parents, following which they were moved from the hostel and made day scholars. Investigators suspect that this incident may have contributed to resentment against the principal. The accused allegedly spent five days planning the theft, conducting a recce of her residence and purchasing a knife and gloves to avoid leaving behind evidence. Police said one of the students entered the house on the day of the crime wearing a monkey cap and gloves and found Rs 2.50 lakh in a bedroom. However, when the cap reportedly slipped, Roopa Reddy recognised him. Fearing that she could identify them, the accused allegedly stabbed her 27 times before fleeing with the cash. Investigators said the students later tried to hide evidence by burying blood-stained clothes and the monkey cap and reportedly travelled to Goa. Police recovered Rs 1.54 lakh in cash, including some notes carrying blood stains, an iPhone allegedly purchased by the accused and Roopa Reddy's phone. The investigation also revealed that the accused had searched a video-sharing platform for ways to earn money quickly before allegedly executing their plan, bringing the sensational murder case to a close with the arrest of the two students.