Cops See Warangal Pool Deaths As 'Triple Murder'

The suspect, Azharuddin, initially claimed his wife Farhat and daughters Umera, 8, and Ayesha, 6, drowned accidentally. However, evidence gathered by Inavolu police pointed to a premeditated plot linked to a dispute over Farhat’s third pregnancy, sources said.

Police said Azharuddin was obsessed with having a son. Farhat’s parents alleged he had forced her to undergo two abortions earlier after learning the foetuses were female. Conflict resurfaced three months ago when Farhat became pregnant again. Upon learning it was another girl, Azharuddin allegedly pressured her for a third abortion. When she refused, tensions escalated, culminating in Wednesday night’s tragedy, ironically on Umera’s birthday.

Technical evidence has reinforced suspicions. Investigators found CCTV cameras at the pool were deliberately switched off before the incident. While Azharuddin claimed he discovered the bodies after returning from a washroom, Farhat’s family alleged he drowned her and then killed the children to silence them.

Azharuddin is in police custody and being interrogated by senior officials. Police believe he staged the drowning to mislead investigators, but inconsistencies in his statements and the disabling of cameras point to his direct involvement. A formal announcement on charges is expected after forensic reports from MGM Hospital, where post-mortems were conducted.

Five-year-old mauled by stray dog

A five-year-old boy was seriously injured in a stray dog attack in Shivajinagar of Nakrekal, Nalgonda district, on Friday. K. Sharath Chandrakanth, son of Shanker, was attacked while playing in front of his house. He sustained multiple injuries to his face. Hearing his cries, a passer-by rescued him from the dog.

After initial treatment at a private hospital, he was shifted by ambulance to Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad due to the severity of his injuries. Nakrekal municipal commissioner Ranjit Kumar said a special drive would be undertaken to address the menace of stray dogs and monkeys in the town.

AITUC leader Venkat Reddy found dead

All India Trade Union Congress (Aituc) national council member M. Venkat Reddy, who was also Aswapuram Heavy Water Plant (HWT) union president, died allegdly by suicide at Aswapur in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district on Friday.

Venkat Reddy, 60, a senior technician at HWT, was residing in the company’s quarters at Gouthaminagar. A sweeper found his body in the front room on Friday morning and alerted locals.

Police said Venkat Reddy had recently returned alone from the United States, after spending time with his son along with his wife. It is suspected that personal problems may have driven him to take the extreme step. His body was shifted to the government hospital at Pinapaka for autopsy. Aswapur police registered a case and began investigation. Leaders of various trade and employees’ unions expressed grief over his death.

Pilgrims injured as bus overturns near Badapahad

A bus carrying pilgrims overturned near Badapahad in Varni mandal early on Friday morning, leaving eight of the 35 passengers severely injured. Others escaped with minor injuries, police said.

The incident occurred on the outskirts of the pilgrimage site when the driver lost control at a sharp turn in a forest stretch. According to locals, pilgrims from Patancheru were travelling to Badapahad in a private school bus.

The injured were rushed to Government General Hospital in Nizamabad district for treatment. Varni police registered a case and launched an investigation.

Sarpanch dies en route to hospital in Nirmal district

Durgam Lahari, sarpanch of Masaipet village in Kadam mandal, died in a road accident on Friday while being shifted to a hospital in Nirmal district after allegedly attempting to die by suicide at her residence in the village.

According to sources, the vehicle transporting her met with an accident on the way when it collided with a tractor parked on the roadside. The car was damaged in the impact and other occupants sustained injuries.

Lahari succumbed while being taken to the hospital.

The reasons behind her suicide attempt are yet to be ascertained. Police have registered a case and are investigating.

Spoiled meat seized during inspections

A state-wide inspection of meat outlets has uncovered multiple violations relating to hygiene, storage and licensing. Officials carried out 68 inspections, collected 33 samples for testing and issued 56 notices for non-compliance.

Around 146 kg of spoiled or non-compliant meat was seized, including a major haul of 110 kg in Nalgonda. Inspectors reported unhygienic cold storage conditions and failure to follow proper stock rotation practices such as First-in, First-out (FIFO) and First-expired, First-out (FEFO).

Authorities said improvement notices were served under the Food Safety and Standards Act for breaches of hygiene provisions, while strict action was taken against licensing violations across districts.

Officials confirmed that inspections will continue to ensure food safety and proper handling practices in meat outlets.

Student held for stealing family gold

Kanchanbagh police cracked a house theft case by arresting a 19-year-old student who stole gold ornaments from his own residence and disposed of them with the help of two associates. The case was reported by Rahmath Shareef (56), who complained that ornaments belonging to his wife and daughter had gone missing from their wardrobe. With no signs of forced entry, investigators suspected an insider’s role.

Suspicion fell on the complainant’s son, Mohammed Adnaan Shareef, after police noticed his unusually calm behaviour and his use of a newly purchased iPhone 16. Questioning revealed inconsistencies, and Adnaan eventually confessed to stealing the ornaments on four occasions in March. He handed them over to friends Mohammed Rehan Uddin and Mohammed Sameer, who helped dispose of the property for quick money.

Police said Adnaan used the proceeds to buy gold and a Verna car, aiming to fund a lavish lifestyle. The trio were arrested and 137 grams of gold ornaments, four mobile phones and the car were recovered. All three were produced before court for judicial remand.

Two drivers killed in Choutuppal crash

Two drivers died and another was injured after a speeding container lorry rammed into a row of parked trucks near Malkapuram village in Choutuppal mandal police station limits.

According to police, four Ashok Leyland trucks carrying coconuts from nearby villages were heading towards Hyderabad when one developed a puncture. The drivers halted by the roadside, switching on parking lights, while the tyre was changed.

At that moment, a container lorry allegedly driven at high speed by a Karnataka-based driver crashed into the stationary vehicles. The impact killed driver Sadhanala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy on the spot due to head and multiple injuries.

Another driver, Palla Naveen Kumar (27), sustained critical injuries and later succumbed while undergoing treatment at hospital around 5 am. A third driver, Rasapoli Kanakaraju, suffered a leg injury and is receiving treatment. Choutuppal police registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Father murdered twin daughters over gender bias in Karimnagar

A man allegedly poisoned and drowned his four-year-old twin daughters at Jubileenagar in Karimnagar district on Friday. The accused, Kacchu Srisailam, 28, a private company employee, had reportedly expressed deep-seated resentment over having female children.

According to the Karimnagar Rural ACP G. Vijay Kumar, Srisailam married Mounika six years ago, and the couple had twin daughters, Geetanshi and Geetha Navika, 4. Family members alleged that Srisailam frequently picked up quarrels with his wife for having daughters. Despite several counselling attempts by elders and relatives, the domestic friction persisted.

On Friday morning, the couple argued over the same issue, police quoting from a complaint said. Later in the evening, Srisailam took the two girls to an agricultural field on the pretext of an outing. It is alleged that he forcibly administered a poisonous substance (herbicide) to the children before throwing them into a deep well.

Locals who noticed the twins missing grew suspicious of his behaviour when he returned to the village and confronted him. Upon realising what had happened, they roughed him up and handed him over to the police. While the body of Geetanshi was found floating and recovered, divers were searching the well and surrounding areas for the second child, Geetha Navika.

ACP Vijay Kumar said that he along with Karimnagar Rural CI A. Niranjan Reddy and other police personnel visited the crime scene to oversee the investigation and search operations and confirmed that the accused is currently in police custody for interrogation.

To prevent any flare-up or retaliatory violence, police personnel were posted at Jubileenagar. A formal case of murder has been registered, and police authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report to confirm the exact cause of death, he added.

308 Booked for Using Phones While Driving

The city traffic police booked 308 motorists for using mobile phones while driving, during a special enforcement attempt on Thursday to curb distracted driving and improve road safety. Of these, 262 violators were two-wheeler riders, three were handling three-wheelers, and 43 were four-wheeler and other vehicle drivers. Police said the use of mobile phones while driving is a serious traffic offence that significantly increased the risk of accidents.

Joint commissioner, traffic, Joel Davis said, “Distracted driving reduces reaction time and impairs judgment, putting not only the driver but also other road users at risk."

Two Die by Suspected Suicide in Separate Incidents in Ghatkesar, Shamshabad

Two persons died in separate incidents of suspected suicide reportedly due to financial and health issues, the Ghatkesar and Shamshabad police said on Friday.

A 58-year-old centring worker died by suicide at Aushapur in the Ghatkesar police limits. Police said he had been facing financial difficulties and was addicted to alcohol. Family members said frequent disputes arose after they sold their house for their daughter’s marriage. He was living separately for the past 20 days. On Thursday morning, he was found unconscious near a tiffin centre.

In another incident, a 46-year-old labourer died at his residence in Chowdariguda under Shamshabad police limits. He was suffering from gastric issues and was under medication, police said. He was shifted to Osmania General Hospital, where he died during treatment in the early hours of Friday.