Jogulamba Gadwal/Kurnool —The Telangana canal murder case that is being seen as an Indore honeymoon murder rerun has turned out to be a mother-daughter love triangle. Police in Telangana have arrested a 23-year-old woman for allegedly plotting and executing the killing of her husband, barely a month after their wedding, to continue an illicit relationship with her mother’s former lover. Eight persons, including the mother-daughter duo and their lover, have been arrested in the case.
The victim, Ganta Tejeshwar (32), a private land surveyor and dance teacher from Jogulamba Gadwal, was reported missing on June 17. Four days later, his body was discovered near a canal in Panyam, Andhra Pradesh, with multiple stab injuries, a slit throat, and blunt force trauma to the head. His wife, Aishwarya, was among the eight people arrested in connection with his murder.
According to the police, Aishwarya conspired with her 35-year-old paramour, Tirumala Rao, who had previously been in a relationship with her mother, Sujatha. The affair between Aishwarya and Rao allegedly continued even after her marriage. The two decided to eliminate Tejeshwar so they could be together, police said.
Inspired By Honeymoon Murder Of Raja Raghuvanshi
Investigations revealed that Rao, a manager at a private finance company, and Aishwarya drew inspiration from a recent “honeymoon murder” in Meghalaya of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi (who was killed by his wife Sonam and her boyfriend along with some hired killers) and plotted Tejeshwar’s killing with similar premeditation. A GPS tracker was allegedly placed on Tejeshwar’s bike, and Aishwarya shared his live location with the killers. On June 17, Tejeshwar was lured under the pretext of a land survey. He was picked up in a vehicle by the hired killers, who bludgeoned him, stabbed him multiple times, and slit his throat. His body was then dumped in the Srisailam right canal in Kurnool.
Police said that an initial payment of ₹1 lakh was made to the three contract killers on the day of the murder. A second instalment of ₹2 lakh was paid on June 20. The accused allegedly purchased new clothes and disposed of the victim’s phone to cover up the crime.
Eight people have been arrested so far, including Aishwarya, Rao, Sujatha, the killers—identified as Kummari Nagesh, Chakali Parashuram, and Chakali Rajesh—as well as two others, Mohan and Tirumala Rao’s father, Tirupathayya. Police recovered two machetes, a knife, the GPS tracker, 10 mobile phones, ₹1.2 lakh in cash, and the vehicle used in the crime.
“We found that the victim’s wife and her lover planned the murder meticulously, taking cues from past cases. The role of the mother also came to light during the interrogation,” police said in a statement.
Aishwarya reportedly stayed with her in-laws after the murder to avoid suspicion, while Rao allegedly arranged a ₹20 lakh loan to fund a planned escape to Ladakh or the Andamans.
Authorities are continuing to investigate whether other accomplices were involved and to verify the financial transactions that funded the plot.
