Seven dead in Andhra Pradesh as two families perish in separate tragedies
Synopsis
Two families. Seven deaths. Five of the dead are children. In Prakasam, a father poisoned his three daughters and hanged himself over a marital dispute. Hours later in Srikakulam, a mother walked her two toddlers onto a railway track. Both incidents, on the same day, expose the lethal intersection of domestic crisis and the absence of intervention.
Key Takeaways
Seven people , including five minors , died in two separate incidents in Andhra Pradesh on 19 June .
In Prakasam , Ekula Sudhakar, 35 , allegedly poisoned his daughters Gochita (13) , Pujita (11) , and Lokita (8) before hanging himself in Agraharam village .
In Srikakulam , Puja, 28 , and her children Kushant (5) and Dikshitha (3) died after being struck by a train between Palasa and Talabadra .
Puja's mother alleged harassment by in-laws; police say domestic discord is being investigated as the cause.
Both cases are under active police investigation; post-mortem examinations have been ordered.
Seven members of two families, including five minors, lost their lives in two separate incidents across Andhra Pradesh on 19 June, with domestic disputes believed to be the underlying cause in both cases, police said. The tragedies unfolded in Prakasam and Srikakulam districts within hours of each other.
Prakasam: Father kills three daughters, then himself
In Agraharam village under Chimakurthy mandal of Prakasam district, Ekula Sudhakar, 35, allegedly poisoned his three minor daughters before taking his own life by hanging. According to police, Sudhakar mixed poison into the food of his daughters — Gochita, 13, Pujita, 11, and Lokita, 8 — reportedly driven to the act by distress over his wife's prolonged absence at her parents' home.
After all three girls died, Sudhakar reportedly walked to a field on the outskirts of the village and hanged himself. Police shifted all four bodies for post-mortem examination. A police officer confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is underway.
Srikakulam: Mother and two toddlers die on railway track
In the second incident, Puja, 28, a resident of Bhavanapadu in Srikakulam district, died along with her son Kushant, 5, and daughter Dikshitha, 3, after the three were struck by a running train on the track between Palasa and Talabadra. Local residents alerted railway police after the bodies were discovered on the track.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Puja had been experiencing marital discord with her husband, Venkataiah of Chalamayyapeta, whom she had married eight years ago. The family had been residing in Vijayawada and had travelled to Chalamayyapeta for summer holidays. According to police, Puja left the house with her children on Thursday morning and the family reportedly spent Thursday night at Palasa railway station before the incident occurred.
Puja's mother alleged that her daughter died by suicide alongside her children due to harassment by her in-laws. Police said the domestic problems angle is being investigated further.
Context and Concern
The two incidents together account for the deaths of five children — the youngest just three years old — pointing to a deeply troubling pattern of domestic distress ending in family tragedies. This comes amid growing concern among child rights advocates and mental health professionals over the vulnerability of minors in households experiencing marital breakdown.
Both cases are under active police investigation, and authorities have yet to make any arrests. The exact sequence of events in each incident is being corroborated through witness statements and forensic examination.
With investigations ongoing, attention will turn to whether systemic support mechanisms — such as domestic crisis helplines and district-level counselling services — were accessible to either family before the tragedies occurred.
Point of View
Occurring on the same day in different districts of Andhra Pradesh, are not statistical outliers — they are symptomatic of a wider crisis in which domestic conflict turns lethal with alarming regularity, and children pay the price. What is missing from both narratives is any sign of prior intervention: no counsellor, no helpline, no family court referral. The state's domestic crisis infrastructure, where it exists, rarely reaches villages like Agraharam or families in transit like Puja's. Until the system treats marital breakdown as a public health emergency rather than a private matter, tragedies of this kind will continue to be reported in the passive voice — bodies found, cases registered, investigations underway.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Andhra Pradesh family deaths on 19 June?
Seven members of two families, including five minors, died in separate incidents in Prakasam and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh on 19 June. In Prakasam, a man allegedly poisoned his three daughters and then hanged himself; in Srikakulam, a woman and her two young children died after being struck by a train.
Who was Ekula Sudhakar and what allegedly led to the Prakasam deaths?
Ekula Sudhakar, 35, was a resident of Agraharam village in Chimakurthy mandal, Prakasam district. Police say he allegedly poisoned his three daughters and killed himself, reportedly driven by distress over his wife's prolonged stay at her parents' home. All four bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.
What do police say about the Srikakulam railway track deaths?
Police say Puja, 28, and her children Kushant, 5, and Dikshitha, 3, died after being struck by a train between Palasa and Talabadra stations. Preliminary investigation points to domestic problems, including marital discord with her husband. Puja's mother has alleged harassment by in-laws.
Are there any arrests in either case?
No arrests have been reported in either case as of the latest police update. Both incidents are under active investigation, with cases registered and post-mortem examinations ordered for all seven victims.
Where exactly did the two incidents occur in Andhra Pradesh?
The first incident occurred in Agraharam village, Chimakurthy mandal, Prakasam district. The second took place on the railway track between Palasa and Talabadra stations in Srikakulam district. Both districts are in Andhra Pradesh.
