Mystery shrouds engineering student's murder in Andhra Pradesh

In a gruesome incident shrouded in mystery, a painter did a 20-year-old engineering student to death by slitting her throat in Vijayawada on Thursday, with one version suggesting that it was an act of vengeance allegedly because she spurned his love overtures.

The building painter Nagendra Babu alias Swamy later inflicted knife wounds on himself and is now undergoing treatment in a serious condition at the Government General Hospital in Guntur, Vijayawada police commissioner B Srinivasulu said.

But different versions have come out of the incident with the aggressor claiming that he and the victim Divya Tejaswini had already married in a temple at Mangalagiri a few days ago.

He reportedly gave a statement to the police to this effect and blamed the girl's father for all the trouble. He, however, fell unconscious midway through his statement to the police, sources said. Tejaswini's mother Kusuma, however, rubbished his claims.

"Why would she marry such a useless person who is addicted to ganja (marijuana)?" Kusuma asked and appealed to media not spread such misinformation.

The girl was pursuing engineering course in a college in Bhimavaram in neighbouring West Godavari district and there was one version that she and Swamy were friends for a long time.

After news of their recent marriage came to light, with some photos appearing in the social media, relatives of Tejaswini attacked Swamy's house a couple of days ago. He reportedly went to Tejaswini's house on Thursday to question about the attack, despite her warning against it.

Swamy was said to have attacked her with a knife following an altercation and then inflicted injuries on himself. She was first taken to the ESI Hospital in Vijayawada and later to the GGH in Guntur, where she succumbed.

Adding to the mystery, a towel was found hanging from the ceiling fan in the room, giving rise to suspicion whether a suicide or strangulation effort was made. The police commissioner said they were investigating the case from all angles.

Clear details would emerge only after statements of all involved were recorded he said. The post-mortem on the victim's body was completed on Thursday evening and it was brought home in the night.

AP Women Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma visited the victim's house and consoled the family members. This was a heinous act, she said, adding such psychopaths should be severely punished.

"Such incidents are on the rise because the cases are dragging for long in courts. We need to amend laws to ensure speedy delivery of justice," Padma added.

Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan expressed grief over the incident and extended sympathies to the bereaved family.