Rajitha was once seen as a quiet, hardworking teacher and mother of three in Ameenpur Mandal, Sangareddy district. But behind the scenes, she was plotting an escape from a life she no longer wanted.
On March 27, she told neighbors her children had suddenly fallen ill after eating curd rice. Hours later, all three—12-year-old Sai Krishna, 10-year-old Madhu Priya, and 8-year-old Gautam—were dead.
What followed shocked even the most experienced investigators.
The police later confirmed what many couldn’t imagine: Rajitha had suffocated her children, one after the other, and made it look like a case of food poisoning. Her reason? To clear the way for a new life with her former classmate, Sooru Shiva Kumar, whom she had been secretly involved with.
Rajitha’s marriage to 50-year-old A. Chennaiah, a water tanker driver, had been strained for years. Married in 2013 after his first wife died in childbirth, Chennaiah and Rajitha built a home and had three children together. But Rajitha, feeling trapped and unhappy, saw Shiva Kumar as a second chance.
Social media exploded with outrage when the truth came to light. Some questioned her mental state. Others wondered if Shiva Kumar was ever truly safe. Many were simply horrified that a mother could carry out such a calculated act against her own children.
Investigations led by DSP Paritosh Pankaj confirmed the motive and method. The case, now under intense public scrutiny, continues to spark debate across the country about mental health, motherhood, and the consequences of unchecked emotional turmoil.
