Andhra couple held for killing daughters in occult ritual

Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) [India], January 27 (ANI): Madanapalle police on Tuesday arrested the superstitious parents who had killed their own daughters on Sunday in Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor district.
The police have filed a murder case on both parents.
"We have filed a case under Section 302 of IPC and arrested both the parents Purushottam Naidu and Padmaja. They will be produced before the court today," Ravimanohar Achari, Deputy Superintendent of Police told ANI yesterday.
N Purushottam Naidu who was a Vice Principal of the government women degree college at Madanapalle and his wife Padmaja was the principal correspondent of a private educational institute. Both persons had allegedly killed their two daughters in what police said appeared to be a case linked to superstition.
The police took them to Madanapalle government hospital and tried to conduct their COVID-19 tests. However, Padmaja refused to get tested, claiming that she is Lord Shiva. The police got her tested outside the hospital at the police vehicle.
Later, the accused couple was taken to the police station.
Of the two daughters, Alekhya, 27, who was pursuing her postgraduation in Bhopal and her sister Sai Divya, 22, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and learning music, hailed from Madanapalle area of the district.
Giving further details, the DSP said Purushottam and Padmaja were extremely superstitious and appeared to have practised some occult rituals and also seemed to have psychological issues.
"On Sunday night, both the parents stabbed their younger daughter Sai Divya with a trident, after performing rituals in the house. Later they kept a copper vessel in the mouth of elder daughter Alekhya and hit her with a dumbbell that claimed her life," the DSP said.
Purushottam had called up one of his colleagues and told him about what happened after which the police were informed. (ANI)