Annamayya District Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kunubilli spoke to the media on Wednesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The accused in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Madanapalle was found dead on Wednesday morning.
The body of accused Kulavardhan was floating in a tank at Kanasanivaripalle under Mudivedu police station limits in Annamayya district, Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kunubilli told the media.
The SP said that immediately after the girl went missing on Monday evening, special police forces started searching for her. There was a public outcry after the girl’s body was found in a drum at Kulavardhan’s house on Tuesday morning.
“To protect the accused from public outrage, we were transporting him in a Rakshak vehicle. When the police party accompanying the accused reached the highway, it was blocked by protesters. When the police tried to clear the way for the vehicle, Kulavardhan was with the driver. He fled. Special teams launched a search,” the SP said.
“The preliminary investigation indicated that the accused may have ended his life. However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed only by the autopsy,” the police said.
The body of Kulavardhan was taken out of the tank and taken to the Madanapalle Government District Hospital for post-mortem.
Kulavardhan, a powerloom worker from Neerugattuvaripalle locality in Madanapalle, was charged with sexually assaulting and murdering a minor girl on Monday evening.
After the incident, six special police teams were formed to hunt down the accused, while more than 200 policemen were deployed in and around Madanapalle to maintain law and order.
The SP said that despite the death of the accused, the investigation will continue and all the evidence will be examined thoroughly.
Meanwhile, the body of the minor girl was taken to her native village Ragimanidinne in Veeraballi mandal of Kadapa district where her last rites were performed.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 19:59 IST