Journalist kills family, hangs self in Siddipet

A journalist working for a vernacular daily in Siddipet district committed suicide by hanging himself after smothering his two children to death using a pillow, and strangulating his wife with a scarf at his residence in the early hours of Thursday at Bharat Nagar in Siddipet town.

Hanumantha Rao (34), a native of Velikatte of Kondapak mandal in Siddipet district killed his two children Minnu (6) and Binnu (3). His wife Meena, after battling for life at the Government Hospital, Siddipet, died in the evening. Hanumantha Rao, who reportedly had some issues with his business partner, suffered losses in the business.

In a suicide note found in his house, Rao accused his business partner Mamtha of cheating and blackmail. He is reported to have had serious differences with the business partner.

Rao, who was a contributor for Andhra Bhoomi for quite



some time, made a phone call to his sister and father-in-law at 6 am and informed them that they will not see him alive. The panic-stricken relatives rushed to Rao’s residence at 7:30 am and broke open the door to find the scribe hanging from the ceiling and the others unconscious in the bed. They rushed all four to the Government Hospital, Sididpet, where doctors declared Rao and his two kids dead. Meena (28), who suffered serious fractures on sensitive bones in the throat, died in the evening.

The incident sent shock waves in the entire journalist fraternity in erstwhile Medak district. Many friends started coming from across the district to the government hospital. Since his in-laws reside at Gadicherlapally village near Siddipet town and Velikatte, his home village, also located close to Siddipet, hundreds gathered at the hospital.