A man accused of murdering his brother-in-law — an agriculture officer — allegedly ended his life along with his wife and two children by jumping in front of a goods train at Singarayakonda Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district on Tuesday, 14 July, police confirmed. The deaths come as investigators were closing in on the prime suspect in what has become one of the district's most disturbing cases of alleged family-driven violence.

What Happened at Singarayakonda

Kudumula Harikrishna, his wife, and their two young children died after stepping onto the tracks of a passing goods train at Singarayakonda Railway Station. Police recovered the bodies along with an Aadhaar card that helped establish the identity of the deceased. The bodies were subsequently shifted to a government hospital for postmortem examination.

Harikrishna originally hailed from Thotapalli RV Kandrika village in Gudur Mandal, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district. Before his death, he had reportedly released a selfie video claiming that people were deliberately spreading false allegations against him.

The Murder That Triggered the Investigation

The case traces back to the death of Srihari, an agriculture officer and Harikrishna's brother-in-law. Srihari's death was initially believed to be the result of a cardiac arrest. However, a complaint filed on 6 July by Srihari's wife, Lavanya, through the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) changed the course of events. Lavanya flagged that her husband's body bore injury marks, and alleged that the Circle Inspector of Buchireddypalem Police Station had neither registered a case nor questioned suspects.

Subsequent investigation revealed that Srihari was allegedly murdered by Harikrishna, who had reportedly administered a lethal injection — the kind reportedly used to kill dogs. The motive, according to investigators, was rooted in a family property dispute and a loan amount that Srihari had extended to the accused. Two other individuals who allegedly assisted in the murder have since been arrested.

Police Negligence Draws Sharp Action

Superintendent of Police Anita Vejendla ordered an investigation after Lavanya's PGRS complaint, which ultimately confirmed the murder. In an unprecedented administrative response, the Nellore district SP on Monday ordered the transfer of all 23 police personnel posted at the concerned police station over alleged negligence in handling the initial complaint. Circle Inspector Matangi Srinivasa Rao was attached to the Reserve unit.

This is a rare instance in Andhra Pradesh of an entire station's staff being transferred as accountability for an investigative lapse. Notably, had Lavanya's PGRS complaint not surfaced, the case may have been closed as a natural death.

What Comes Next

With Harikrishna and his family now dead, the case will likely proceed against the two arrested accomplices. Investigators will also examine whether further systemic failures contributed to the delay in registering the murder case. The postmortem reports of all four deceased are awaited and are expected to formally confirm the cause of death.