Hyderabad Family Tragedy: Tech Professional and Children's Suicide Leaves Investigators Searching for Answers
Three days after the heartbreaking incident where software professional Vijaya Reddy and her two teenage children ended their lives, the Hyderabad police continue to grapple with unanswered questions about what drove the family to such a desperate act. Despite extensive investigation and statements from multiple family members and colleagues, the motive behind the tragic suicide pact remains shrouded in mystery.
The Fateful Night: A Mother's Final Journey with Her Children
On January 30, around 6 pm, 38-year-old Vijaya Reddy left her home in Haritavanam Colony, Chengicherla, telling her mother Pushpalata that she needed to attend to some office work. Instead of waiting for her regular office cab, she took her personal car—a decision that would prove to be the beginning of a tragic sequence of events.
According to railway police investigations, Vijaya did not proceed to her workplace in Hitec City. Instead, she embarked on a carefully planned journey to collect her children from their respective hostels. First, she picked up her 18-year-old daughter Chetana Reddy from her college hostel in Patancheru, then drove to Ghatkesar to collect her 17-year-old son Vishal Reddy. To the hostel staff, she explained she was taking the children to attend a relative's funeral—a story that concealed her true intentions.
The Final Moments at Cherlapally Railway Station
The family's journey culminated at Cherlapally railway station around midnight. CCTV footage from the station clearly captured the heartbreaking final moments as Vijaya and her two children walked to the end of a platform and jumped onto the tracks. Before taking this irreversible step, Vijaya left a suicide note in her parked car.
At approximately 12:40 am on January 31, the loco-pilot of a goods train alerted railway authorities that three individuals had been hit by the train. Police later identified the victims as Vijaya Reddy and her two children, confirming what the CCTV footage had already revealed.
The Suicide Note and Family's Perplexity
In her final message to her mother, Vijaya wrote that despite her best efforts, she did not find satisfaction in her life. "I can't leave the children, so I am taking them with me. No one is responsible for this," the note stated, according to railway police officials who examined the document.
This explanation has done little to clarify the situation for grieving family members. Vijaya's husband, Surender Reddy, who works in Dubai, told media that he had last spoken to his wife on their wedding anniversary on January 28. "She is a very strong person. She did not have any health problems. My mind went blank when I found out about the deaths, and I don't know why it happened," he expressed in his statement.
Police Investigation and Cyber Analysis
Hyderabad police have recorded statements from eight individuals, including:
- Vijaya's husband Surender Reddy
- Her mother Pushpalata
- Her brother
- Two neighbors
- Three colleagues from her workplace
Pushpalata's statement revealed that Vijaya had not mentioned any plans to meet her children that day and that the family faced no apparent financial or domestic problems. Colleagues confirmed that their communications with Vijaya were strictly work-related, offering no clues about her state of mind.
"The reason for the suicide pact remains a mystery. We do not know what Vijaya might have told her two children to make them take their own lives," stated a railway police investigator involved in the case.
In their search for answers, police have sent Vijaya's mobile phone and laptop to a cyber laboratory for detailed data extraction and analysis. The suicide note has also been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory for handwriting verification and further examination.
A Life Cut Short: Professional and Personal Background
Vijaya Reddy worked as an operations team lead at a software company in Hyderabad's prominent Hitec City area. She lived with her mother in Chengicherla while her husband worked overseas in Dubai. Her children were both pursuing Intermediate education—Chetana in her second year and Vishal in his first year—at residential junior colleges in Hyderabad.
The tragedy has left the local community and Vijaya's professional circle in shock, with many struggling to comprehend what could have driven a seemingly successful professional and devoted mother to such an extreme decision involving her children.
As the investigation continues, Hyderabad police remain focused on uncovering digital evidence and personal communications that might shed light on the family's final days and the factors that led to this devastating outcome.
