ONGOLE/VIJAYAWADA: A 38-year-old techie from the state and her seven-year-old son were found dead at their home in Burlington of New Jersey in USA. The US police reportedly took her husband who is also a software engineer into custody for questioning and are investigating if it was a hate crime or a murder with other intentions.
Narra Sasikala (38) of Vijayawada got married to Narra Hanumantha Rao from Thimmarajupalem of Parchur mandal in Prakasam district about 13 years ago and the couple have been residing in US for the last nine years. The couple are working for CTS.
On Friday morning, Hanumantha Rao telephoned his parents who reside in Thimmarajupalem around 6 am and informed them that Saisikala and their son Anish Sai were found with their throats slit in the house when he returned from office on Thursday evening (American Standard Time). Hanumantha then called the police.
"The Police have seized his phone and taken him for questioning. We are trying to contact relatives and friends to ensure that our son is not wrongly arrested and that the bodies of out daughter-in-law and grandson are sent back to India at the earliest," Hanumantha's father Subba Rao told Express.
Subba Rao further stated that his daughter-in-law was working from home, while Hanumantha went to office. According to him, Sasikala had picked up Anish from school around 5 pm and was found dead when Hanumantha returned home at 7 pm.
However, Sasikala's parents suspect the involvement of Hanumantha in the murder of their daughter. They alleged that Hanumantha had an illicit affair with his colleague and had threatened to divorce Sasikala. "Initially, he had rubbished the affair but when Sasikala confronted him, he started keeping away from home. We highly suspect that he might have hired someone to kill my daughter and grandson as they were obstacles keeping him from marrying the other woman," alleged Sunkara Venkateswara Rao, Sasikala's father and a resident of Lakshmipuram Colony in Poranki of Vijayawada city.
Hanumantha's family and Sasikala are trying to contact officials at Indian Embassy in the US with the help of Telugu associations. Parchur MLA E Sambasiva Rao took the issue to the notice of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who in turn entrusted the responsibility of bringing the bodies back to Minister Palle Raghunadha Reddy.