Hyderabad Mother Kills Twin Toddlers, Jumps to Death Amid Family Strife

A 27-year-old woman allegedly smothered her two-year-old twins to death before leaping from her fourth-floor apartment in Balanagar, Hyderabad, early Tuesday morning. Police identified the woman as Challari Sailakshmi, who reportedly used a pillow to end the lives of her children, Chetan Karthikeya and Lasyata Valli, around 3:30 am while her husband was away at work.

The tragedy unfolded in the quiet residential neighborhood, where CCTV cameras captured the horrifying moment Sailakshmi plummeted to the ground at exactly 3:37 am. Alarmed neighbors, jolted awake by the thud, rushed to the scene and immediately dialed emergency services. Responding officers from the Balanagar police station arrived to find Sailakshmi's lifeless body and, upon entering the apartment, discovered the twins' tiny forms motionless in their beds. The children's bodies were promptly transported to a nearby government hospital for postmortem examination to confirm the cause of death and gather forensic evidence.

According to Police Inspector T. Narsimha Raju, the motive appears rooted in deep-seated domestic turmoil. "The couple had been locked in frequent arguments centered on their son Chetan's speech impairment," Raju explained during a press briefing. Young Chetan had been diagnosed with a developmental delay affecting his ability to speak clearly, prompting the family to enroll him in regular speech therapy sessions at a local clinic. What began as concerns over treatment approaches escalated into bitter disputes, with Sailakshmi and her husband, Anil Kumar, clashing over how best to handle the child's condition.

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Investigators believe the cumulative stress from these marital conflicts, compounded by possible postpartum depression or overwhelming parental pressures, may have driven Sailakshmi to this desperate act. "Preliminary inquiries suggest she was under immense emotional strain," Raju added. "The arguments had become a daily ordeal, eroding the family's stability." Neighbors described the couple as outwardly normal but whispered about occasional raised voices echoing from the apartment late at night.

Anil Kumar, a private sector employee who works night shifts, returned home to unimaginable grief. He was immediately taken into custody for questioning as protocol in such cases. Sailakshmi's devastated parents, arriving from their village on the city's outskirts, filed a formal complaint against him, alleging abetment to suicide and harassment. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder (Section 302) and abetment (Section 306), with further charges possible pending investigation outcomes.

This incident spotlights the often-hidden crises within families dealing with children's disabilities in India, where stigma and lack of support systems can exacerbate tensions. Experts note that speech impairments affect about 7-10% of preschoolers globally, but in resource-strapped households, the burden falls heavily on mothers, leading to isolation and mental health struggles. Counseling services in Hyderabad have reported a spike in calls from similar families post this event, urging greater awareness and intervention.

Forensic teams are analyzing the pillow and apartment for additional clues, while digital records from Sailakshmi's phone may reveal any final messages or cries for help. Child rights activists are calling for mandatory parenting support programs in cases of developmental disorders, arguing that early mediation could prevent such tragedies. As the investigation unfolds, the Balanagar community mourns the loss of three lives, grappling with questions of how such darkness went unnoticed in broad daylight.

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