Newlywed man murdered, wife and her lover among 8 held

 

By Sagaya Fernando| June 25, 2025

Gadwal, Telangana, INDIA: In a chilling case bearing eerie similarities to the recent murder of Indore’s Raja Raghuvanshi during his honeymoon in Meghalaya, a 26-year-old man from Telangana has been found murdered, allegedly at the behest of his newlywed wife and her lover.

The victim, Tejeswar, a land surveyor and part-time dance teacher from Gadwal, Telangana, was reported missing on June 18—exactly a month after his marriage to 23-year-old Aishwarya from Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district. Days later, his decomposed body was recovered from a canal near Panyam town in Kurnool.

According to police, the murder was meticulously planned by Aishwarya and her paramour, a married bank manager named Tirumal Rao. Investigators revealed that within a month of her wedding, Aishwarya and Rao hired three men -- posing as loan-seekers -- to carry out the murder, offering them a Rs 2 lakh advance. Rao had allegedly taken a Rs 20 lakh loan to fund the murder and subsequent escape plans.

Jogulamba Gadwal Superintendent of Police T. Srinivas Rao said that Aishwarya lured her husband into a trap under the guise of a land survey. CCTV footage shows Tejeswar getting into a car in which he was later killed -- his throat slit and stomach stabbed -- before the body was dumped in a canal. The killers reportedly showed Rao the body over a video call before disposal.

A tattoo on Tejeswar’s arm reading "Amma" in Telugu helped police confirm his identity after his body was found in an advanced stage of decomposition.

A Tale of Deception, Affair, and Murder

Tejeswar and Aishwarya married on May 18 in Kurnool, despite strong objections from his family. The wedding was initially scheduled for February but was postponed after Aishwarya mysteriously disappeared. She later convinced Tejeswar to go ahead with the marriage, claiming she had been kept away due to her family’s inability to pay dowry.

Tejeswar’s family, however, suspected that Aishwarya was involved in an extramarital affair, and had even warned him about the relationship. Their fears were tragically realized.

Investigators say that between February and June, Aishwarya and Rao exchanged over 2,000 phone calls. Even during her wedding, she was reportedly glued to her phone. When questioned, she told her in-laws she was speaking to her mother.

Tirumal Rao, who was already married for eight years and reportedly childless, also maintained a relationship with Aishwarya’s mother, Sujatha, who worked as a sweeper at his NBFC branch. Aishwarya temporarily replaced her mother at work during her absence, leading to her illicit involvement with Rao.

Sujatha, though initially discouraging the affair, later allegedly became complicit in the crime. Police say she had preliminary knowledge of the murder plot. She and Rao’s father -- a retired head constable who tried to shield his son -- are among the eight people arrested so far.

After the murder, Aishwarya continued to stay at her in-laws’ house for four days, even as the family grew increasingly suspicious. The plan was for her to return to Kurnool and flee to Ladakh with Rao, using tickets already booked for their escape.

Echoes of Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder

This murder comes just weeks after the high-profile killing of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, allegedly by his wife Sonam and her lover Raj Kushwaha during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Raja’s mutilated body was discovered in a gorge on June 2. Sonam, Kushwaha, and six others -- including hired killers -- have since been arrested.

As outrage continues over the Raghuvanshi case, Tejeswar’s murder has sparked fresh concerns over rising crimes involving marital deceit and contract killings.

Police investigations into both cases are ongoing. Authorities are now examining if the back-to-back incidents suggest a disturbing trend of spouses using deception and hired help to eliminate partners under the guise of love