TIRUPATI: In a significant development in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Madanapalle, the prime suspect was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Annamayya district in the early hours of Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Kulavardhan, is suspected to have died by suicide. His body was found floating in a tank at Kanasasanolapalli near Angallu in Kurabalakota mandal. Police said locals alerted them after noticing a body in the water body.
The incident follows the brutal rape and murder of seven-year-old Rishika at Neerugattupalli in Madanapalle town on Tuesday, which triggered widespread outrage among residents.
Initially recovered as an unidentified youth, the body is strongly suspected to be that of Kulavardhan, the key accused in the minor’s murder case. Police rushed to the spot, retrieved the body and shifted it to Madanapalle Government Hospital for identification and post-mortem examination.
Officials said further confirmation would be made after due identification procedures. A detailed investigation is under way.