Highlights:
In a baffling tragedy that has shocked Peerzadiguda, a 25-year-old former software engineer, Tejaswini, died by suicide in the early hours of Friday (17). Before jumping into a local pond, CCTV footage captured her locking her mother inside their flat, walking entirely unclothed through the streets at 2:30 AM, entering a neighborhood temple to pick up an idol of Goddess Ammavaru, and carrying it with her into the water.
While Medipally Police suspect the incident stems from severe mental health crises and acute phobias, ongoing investigations are probing financial anomalies, including steep daily accommodation costs—and searching for the sacred idol, which remains missing in the lake bed.
According to investigators and CCTV surveillance recovered from the Shankar Nagar locality in Peerzadiguda, Tejaswini and her mother, Aruna, had gone to Miyapur earlier in the day to view a two-bedroom apartment they planned to purchase. After returning home, they went to sleep in separate rooms. At around 2:30 AM, Tejaswini locked her mother’s bedroom door from the outside
Unclothed, Tejaswini ran into the deserted streets. Footage shows a startled passerby running in the opposite direction after spotting her. She briefly stopped at a local temple, where she grabbed a sacred idol of Goddess Ammavaru. Later, carrying the heavy idol, she walked directly to the nearby Peerzadiguda pond and submerged herself.
Locals discovered her body floating in the lake later that morning and immediately alerted the authorities. Medipally Police have registered a case and are investigating multiple angles surrounding her death.
Family statements reveal Tejaswini had been suffering from deteriorating mental health, severe sleep disruptions, and acute phobias. Her mother told officers that Tejaswini was frequently tormented by vivid nightmares, making distressed noises in her sleep for weeks before the incident. Police officials noted that both mother and daughter appeared to be dealing with severe psychological distress and isolation.
While Tejaswini’s body was recovered and handed over to her family following a post-mortem examination, the idol has not been found. Telangana's Disaster Response Force (DRF) deployed boats and divers to search the bottom of the pond, treating the missing idol as a crucial piece of physical evidence.
Investigators are scrutinizing Tejaswini's financial transactions and communication logs after seizing her mobile phone. She had reportedly been renting flat accommodation where she was paying up to $41 per day, totalling nearly $1,160 per month. Police are examining whether commercial lodge-like operations on the building’s upper floors played any role in her recent movements or financial strain.
Tejaswini previously worked as an IT professional in Bengaluru before shifting to Visakhapatnam and later settling in Hyderabad with her mother a month before her death. Her parents live separately due to ongoing marital disputes, with her father residing in Visakhapatnam.
The Medipally Police continue to analyze forensic data, CCTV clips, and financial records to piece together the events that led up to her tragic end.
Haze from Canadian wildfires blankets the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building, as seen from Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 17, 2026 in New York City. New York City has been under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke gradually moves through the area, creating a thick haze in the heat. Getty Images