Telangana priest father-son duo found dead in temple pond, Jangaon
Synopsis
A priest and his son were found dead in a temple pond in Telangana's Jangaon district, allegedly by suicide amid financial and personal grief — weeks after the father lost his wife. In a separate Khammam case the same day, a 28-year-old woman was found dead and a video of her husband allegedly assaulting her has emerged, with family alleging murder for a ₹80 lakh insurance payout.
Key Takeaways
Lakshminarasimha Charyulu and his son Pawan Kumar Charyulu , priests at Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple , were found dead in the temple pond in Jangaon district on Friday .
Police preliminary findings cite financial and family problems ; the father had lost his wife Sridevi a month earlier.
In a separate case, R.
Meenakshi (28) was found hanging at her home in Khammam district on the same day.
Shivaji , was detained after a video allegedly showing him assaulting her surfaced; family allege he targeted a ₹80 lakh life insurance policy in her name.
Police are awaiting post-mortem reports in both cases before filing final charges.
Two priests — a father and his son — were found dead in a temple pond in Bandlagudem village, Lingala Ghanpur mandal, Jangaon district, Telangana, on Friday. Lakshminarasimha Charyulu and his son Pawan Kumar Charyulu, who served at the Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple, allegedly died by suicide. Locals who spotted the bodies in the pond alerted police, who retrieved them and sent them to a government hospital for autopsy.
What Preliminary Investigation Revealed
According to police, initial findings suggest the two men took the extreme step owing to financial and family problems. The father, Lakshminarasimha Charyulu, had reportedly lost his wife, Sridevi, just a month earlier due to health-related issues, compounding the family's distress. Police have registered a case and launched a full investigation into the circumstances.
Separate Case: Woman Found Dead in Khammam, Husband Detained
In a separate incident in Khammam district, a 28-year-old woman, R. Meenakshi, was found hanging at her residence in Gol Thanda, Thirumalayapalem, on the outskirts of Khammam town, also on Friday morning. Her relatives alleged that her husband, R. Shivaji, killed her and staged it as a suicide.
Video Evidence and Insurance Allegations
Hours after the body was discovered, a video surfaced allegedly showing Shivaji striking Meenakshi with a belt while she was restrained and their child could be heard crying in the background. According to police, the video was recorded by one of Meenakshi's relatives but was suppressed after a family compromise was reached. Her relatives alleged that Shivaji had been eyeing a ₹80 lakh life insurance policy taken out in her name, and that he had subjected her to regular assault and harassment.
Police Action and Next Steps
Police detained Shivaji for questioning following the video's emergence. A case has been registered, and investigators are awaiting the post-mortem examination report to determine whether the death constitutes suicide or murder. Meenakshi's family has demanded that police charge Shivaji with murder. Both cases in Telangana reflect a troubling pattern of domestic distress and alleged domestic violence that authorities are now under pressure to address swiftly.
Point of View
The other a suspected domestic homicide — underscore how financial despair and domestic violence continue to claim lives with little early intervention. The Khammam case is particularly alarming: a suppressed assault video, a large insurance motive, and a child present during the alleged abuse point to systemic failures in both community reporting and police responsiveness. That a compromise was brokered after the assault video was recorded rather than a complaint filed raises hard questions about how domestic violence is handled at the grassroots level in the state.
NationPress
7 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the priests found dead in the Jangaon temple pond?
They were Lakshminarasimha Charyulu and his son Pawan Kumar Charyulu , who served as priests at the Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple in Bandlagudem village, Jangaon district, Telangana. Police found their bodies in the temple pond on Friday and have registered a case.
What is the suspected reason behind the priests' deaths?
Preliminary police investigation suggests the father-son duo allegedly died by suicide due to financial and family problems. The father had also lost his wife, Sridevi, just a month earlier due to health-related issues, reportedly deepening the family's crisis.
What happened in the Khammam death case?
R. Meenakshi, 28, was found hanging at her home in Gol Thanda, Thirumalayapalem, Khammam, on Friday morning. Her relatives alleged her husband, R. Shivaji, killed her and staged it as a suicide, and that he was motivated by a ₹80 lakh life insurance policy in her name.
Why was R. Shivaji detained by police?
Shivaji was detained after a video surfaced allegedly showing him assaulting Meenakshi with a belt while she was restrained. Police are questioning him and await the post-mortem report to determine if the death was suicide or murder.
What is the current status of both investigations?
In the Jangaon case, police have registered a case and are investigating. In the Khammam case, Shivaji is in police custody for questioning and the post-mortem report is awaited. Both cases remain under active investigation.
