Andhra police hunt shooting academy coach after family of 3 die by suicide in Godavari
Synopsis
A government employee, his wife, and daughter jumped into the Godavari in Rajamahendravaram, allegedly driven to suicide by a shooting academy coach who had been harassing the family. A suicide note names him for abetment — and a second complaint now accuses him of involvement in the daughter's husband's earlier death, turning a tragedy into a potential murder probe.
Key Takeaways
Nooka Raju , 61 , his wife Meena , 58 , and daughter Sowjanya , 38 , jumped into the Godavari from the Road-cum-Rail bridge in Rajamahendravaram on Sunday night, 17 August .
Their 10-year-old grandson Karthikya Reddy was rescued unconscious by fisherfolk; Raju's body was recovered on Monday ; search for Meena and Sowjanya was ongoing as of Tuesday.
A suicide note addressed to the Kakinada District Collector and SP accuses Sadhik Khan , founder of Pro Shooting Academy , of harassment, threats, and taking valuables from the family.
A case of abetment of suicide under Section 108 BNS has been registered against Khan; 10 police teams are hunting for him.
Sowjanya's father-in-law Bhaskar Reddy has separately alleged that his son Jagdish Reddy was killed on 2 July by injection of a poisonous substance, with Khan named as a suspect.
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has directed both Kakinada and East Godavari SPs to speed up the investigation.
Andhra Pradesh police have launched a multi-team manhunt for Sadhik Khan, founder and coach of Pro Shooting Academy in Kakinada, after a government employee, his wife, and daughter allegedly died by suicide in the Godavari river on Sunday night, 17 August, reportedly driven by harassment linked to the coach. A suicide note left in the car names Khan and accuses him of abetment.
What Happened That Night
K. Nooka Raju, 61, an Assistant Engineer with the Panchayat Raj Department in Pithapuram mandal, Kakinada district, jumped into the Godavari from the Road-cum-Rail bridge in Rajamahendravaram along with his wife Meena, 58, daughter Sowjanya, 38, and 10-year-old grandson Karthikya Reddy. The boy was rescued unconscious by local fisherfolk from an island in the river. The body of Nooka Raju was retrieved on Monday evening; searches for Meena and Sowjanya were continuing as of Tuesday, with personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and expert divers deployed.
What the Suicide Note Alleged
A note, believed to have been written by Raju and addressed to the Kakinada District Collector and Superintendent of Police, alleged that Sadhik Khan had been pursuing Sowjanya after the recent death of her husband, Jagdish Reddy. According to the note, Khan had promised to 'take care of' Sowjanya and allegedly threatened to eliminate Raju and his grandson when the family rejected his advances. The note also alleged that Khan had taken valuables from the family. Raju wrote that the family chose to end their lives as they could no longer endure the harassment.
A Second Case: Suspicious Death of Sowjanya's Husband
The case took a significant turn on Tuesday when Bhaskar Reddy, Sowjanya's father-in-law, filed a separate police complaint at Sarpavaram police station in Kakinada, alleging that his son Jagdish Reddy did not die of natural causes. Bhaskar Reddy claimed Jagdish died on 2 July after a poisonous substance was allegedly injected into him, and named Sadhik Khan and another unidentified person as suspects. He said new details emerged after speaking to his grandson Karthikya, who had been enrolled in Khan's shooting academy. According to Bhaskar Reddy, Khan began visiting the family home and attempting to get close to Sowjanya shortly after Jagdish's death.
Police Action and Political Response
Ten teams drawn from Rajamahendravaram and Kakinada police are actively searching for Sadhik Khan. A case of abetment of suicide under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered against him, based on the suicide note and a statement by Karthikya Reddy. Investigators also recovered additional letters from Sowjanya's car. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan contacted Kakinada SP G. Bindu Madhav and East Godavari SP D. Narasimha Kishore, directing them to expedite the investigation.
What Comes Next
With two separate cases now registered — abetment of suicide and alleged murder — investigators face the task of establishing whether the deaths of Jagdish Reddy and the three family members are connected, and whether Khan's alleged conduct constitutes a broader criminal pattern. The recovery of Sowjanya's body and forensic examination of the letters found in her car could prove critical to the investigation's direction.
Point of View
If substantiated, would mean authorities may have initially missed or under-investigated a suspicious death, creating the conditions for the subsequent harassment and suicide. The involvement of a minor — enrolled in the accused's own academy — as a key witness adds another layer of institutional failure to examine. Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan's intervention is politically visible, but the real accountability test is whether the earlier death was properly investigated at all.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Nooka Raju family in Rajamahendravaram?
K. Nooka Raju, his wife Meena, daughter Sowjanya, and 10-year-old grandson Karthikya Reddy jumped into the Godavari river from the Road-cum-Rail bridge in Rajamahendravaram on the night of 17 August. Karthikya was rescued by fisherfolk; Raju's body was recovered on Monday; searches for Meena and Sowjanya were ongoing as of Tuesday.
Who is Sadhik Khan and why is he being hunted by police?
Sadhik Khan is the founder and coach of Pro Shooting Academy in Kakinada. A suicide note left by Nooka Raju alleges that Khan harassed his widowed daughter Sowjanya, threatened the family, and took their valuables — driving them to end their lives. Police have registered a case of abetment of suicide against him under Section 108 of the BNS and deployed 10 teams to find him.
Is there a separate murder allegation connected to this case?
Yes. Sowjanya's father-in-law Bhaskar Reddy has alleged that his son Jagdish Reddy did not die naturally but was killed on 2 July after a poisonous substance was injected into him. He has named Sadhik Khan and another person as suspects in a complaint filed at Sarpavaram police station in Kakinada.
What action has the Andhra Pradesh government taken?
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan personally contacted Kakinada SP G. Bindu Madhav and East Godavari SP D. Narasimha Kishore, directing them to accelerate the investigation. SDRF personnel and expert divers have been deployed to continue the search for the missing bodies.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Two separate cases have been registered — one for abetment of suicide and one for alleged murder. Ten police teams are actively searching for Sadhik Khan, who remains at large. Investigators have recovered additional letters from Sowjanya's car, which could provide further leads.
