A software professional and her two teenage children were found dead at a railway station in Hyderabad on Saturday night in what police are investigating as a suspected suicide pact.
The deceased have been identified as Pinninti Vijaya Shanthi Reddy, 38, and her children — Chetana Reddy, 18, and Vishal Reddy, 17. According to police reports, Shanthi Reddy, a resident of Harithaharam Colony in Boduppal, left her home around 6 pm on Saturday. She first collected both of her children, who were pursuing intermediate courses and staying in hostels, before driving to Cherlapally railway station.
The trio parked their car outside the station and proceeded onto the railway tracks, where they were later found. Authorities were alerted and the bodies were recovered. Enquiries revealed the family had arrived in the vehicle, which was subsequently examined.
A critical development in the investigation was the discovery of a handwritten note inside the car. Police sources state the note, purportedly written by Shanthi Reddy, contained an apology for ending her life for unspecified reasons. Crucially, it also expressed that she did not wish to leave her children alone in the world.
To verify the authenticity of the document and rule out other investigative angles, police have sought the assistance of forensic handwriting experts, a source familiar with the probe confirmed, according to reports.
While the contents of the note provide a possible direction, the police have stated the precise motive behind the incident remains unclear and that a thorough investigation is ongoing. As part of this, investigators are analysing the call detail records of the family members.
Shanthi Reddy’s husband, Vijaya Reddy, who works for a private company in Dubai, has since returned to Hyderabad. Police have recorded his statement as they piece together the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
The case continues to be probed by local authorities, who are awaiting forensic reports while conducting wider inquiries into the family’s background and the events preceding Saturday night.
