The Madanapalle father-mother duo - Purushotham Naidu and Padmaja, who clubbed their two daughters to death with a dumb-bell on Sunday, were arrested by the police on Tuesday.
The bizarre killing of Alekhya (27) and Sai Divya (22), prompted by a blind belief in evil possession, tantric rituals and reincarnation has shocked the state.
While Naidu has been named as the prime accused, Padmaja is the second accused in the case registered mainly under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder).
The cremation of the bodies was held on Monday, with relatives assisting Naidu in performing the final rites. The accused parents are still in a state of delirium.
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On Tuesday, when the duo was taken to the government hospital for check-up including a Covid-19 test, Padmaja reportedly refused to enter the hospital building, claiming that she is an embodiment of Lord Shiva and does not need such tests.
“It is again a reflection of their mental condition. While the husband seems is slowly coming back to senses, realising what has happened, the lady is still behaving very strangely,” M Srinivas, Circle Inspector, Madanapalle Rural told DH.
The police attributed the late arrest to “their very sensitive state.” After produced in a local court, the duo was sent to a judicial remand of 14 days.
According to local reports, the girls were, for the past week, living with the fear that they were possessed by an evil spirit. On Sunday afternoon, the younger girl Sai Divya was first hit by a dumb-bell which instantly killed her. The elder girl was also bludgeoned the same way later.
“We cannot confirm, as of now, as to what exactly happened that day as it was only those four people inside the house then. But they seem to have believed in evil possession (of the girls and were looking for avenues to drive it out),” Srinivas said.
Dr V Purushotham Naidu, M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D, is an associate professor of chemistry at the Government Women's Degree College in Madanapalle while his wife V Padmaja, M.Sc., (Gold Medalist) is the correspondent of Masterminds IIT Talent School, a private education institute.
Even the two daughters, now deceased, had promising careers.
Alekhya completed a post-graduate course in forest management from Bhopal while Divya, a graduate in business administration and a guitar buff, is said to be learning music at AR Rahman's music institute and is at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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