NELLORE: A 34-year-old software engineer allegedly shot dead a woman before shooting himself in Nellore’s Podalakuru mandal on Monday. Police said Mallapati Suresh Reddy opened fire at the 24-year-old woman reportedly after she had rejected his repeated marriage proposals.
Suresh Reddy had been working in Bengaluru, and the woman was employed in the same firm’s Pune facility. Both belonged to the same locality, and had been working from their respective homes due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Suresh had sent his family members to the woman’s residence to seek her hand in marriage. Her parents, however, declined, saying their daughter’s decision would be final,” SP Ch Vijaya Rao said, adding, the man later pestered her with text messages and phone calls.
Techie used 9mm pistol with Made in US marking
Police said Suresh went to the woman’s house around 3 pm on Monday and opened fire at her with a 9mm pistol, overcoming her sister’s efforts to prevent him. Though the first bullet missed the target, the second pierced her head. Only the sisters were at home when the incident happened.
“He then left the house and shot himself some 200 metres away,” the officer said. He died at the scene.
Hearing the gunshots, local residents rushed in and alerted the woman’s relatives. Her parents rushed her to the Government General Hospital in Nellore city, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Vijaya Rao said a probe has been launched into the incident, including into how Suresh had procured the pistol with “Made in USA” marking. Clues team examined the scene, and efforts were on to ascertain if anyone else had a role in the crime. Investigators were awaiting the post-mortem report.TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh urged the government to stop atrocities against women. “It is very unfortunate that a gun culture is prevailing in AP as in Bihar. It is a heinous act to kill a woman for refusing a marriage proposal,” he tweeted.