The investigation into the death of a software engineer in Hyderabad has taken an unusual turn, with police searching for a temple idol that the woman allegedly carried into a pond before she drowned.
The deceased, identified as Tejaswini, is alleged to have removed her clothes, entered a nearby temple unclothed, picked up an idol of Goddess Ammavaru and then walked to a nearby pond, where she entered the water. While her body was later recovered, the idol has not yet been found.
The Disaster Response Force (DRF) has deployed boats to search the pond for the missing idol, which investigators believe may be an important piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.
As part of the probe, police have questioned Tejaswini's mother, Aruna. Investigators are also examining an alleged death declaration, her financial transactions and her movements in the days leading up to the incident.
Police have found that Tejaswini had been staying in a rented apartment for which she was allegedly paying around Rs 3,500 per day, amounting to nearly Rs 1 lakh per month. Investigators also discovered that the top two floors of the building were allegedly being operated as a lodge and are examining whether there is any connection between the property and the case.
While police suspect that Tejaswini died by suicide, they have not yet established the exact sequence of events or the motive behind her actions. The investigation remains ongoing, with officers analysing CCTV footage, witness statements and forensic evidence. No official conclusion has yet been reached regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
