Telangana priest, mentally challenged son found dead in temple pond

According to locals, the priest had been in deep distress ever since his wife Sridevi passed away about a month ago following a prolonged illness.

Hyderabad: A temple priest and his mentally challenged son were found dead in the pond of the very temple where the priest had served for two decades, in what police are treating as a case of suicide.

The deceased have been identified as Varayoru Lakshminarasimhacharyulu, 54, and his son Pavan Kumar Acharyulu, 25. The two were associated with the Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple in Bandlagudem village of Lingala Ghanpur mandal in Jangaon district, Telangana.

According to locals, the priest had been in deep distress ever since his wife Sridevi passed away about a month ago following a prolonged illness. Residents of the village say he had repeatedly spoken of ending his life along with his son, who suffered from an intellectual disability and was entirely dependent on him.

The bodies were discovered floating in the temple pond by locals, who immediately alerted the police. Officers arrived at the scene and retrieved the bodies, which were subsequently sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigation by police indicated that the priest had been battling severe emotional and financial hardship following his wife’s death, leaving him overwhelmed about his son’s future and care.

A case has been registered, and police are conducting further inquiry into the circumstances that led to the deaths.