Described by colleagues as a brave and energetic officer who never hesitated to face danger, a 24-year-old woman constable of the Excise Department in Nizamabad died on Saturday after being run over by a car carrying ganja on the evening of January 23.
Gajula Soumya, her colleagues said, came from a humble background but nurtured big dreams. A native of Mosra, a small town 18 km from Nizamabad, Soumya was the daughter of G Saiyulu and Chandrakala, who earn a living by selling masala packets in the local market.
Her brother Sravan said she graduated from Nishita Degree College in Nizamabad and soon after qualified as a constable in the Excise Department. “She was eager to join the police force or the Excise department. Once she started earning, the financial condition of our family improved a lot. She took care of our parents and me. My parents are totally lost without her,” he said.
“She joined us in March 2024. She would have completed two years on the job this March. She was a very brave and lively person,” said her senior officer, Deputy Commissioner V Somi Reddy.
Reddy said the department had received information that two four-wheelers carrying packets of ganja would pass through Nizamabad town. “An inspector and his team proceeded to intercept the suspect vehicles in two of our vehicles at Madhavpur village. One of our vehicles blocked the road, and the first car was forced to stop. When the inspector tried to open the vehicle’s door, the driver sped up and veered towards Constable Soumya, who was standing on the other side, where the second vehicle had stopped. She got crushed under the vehicle, which hit a pole,” Reddy said.
Soumya was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where doctors performed emergency surgeries, removing a damaged kidney and spleen. She also suffered broken ribs and liver damage. As her condition worsened, she was shifted to Hyderabad’s Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), where she battled for nine days on a ventilator and multi-organ support before succumbing on Saturday evening.
A bulletin issued late Saturday night by NIMS Additional Medical Superintendent Dr N Lakshmi Bhaskar said, “All necessary medical interventions and advanced life-support measures were provided by a multi-disciplinary team of specialists. Despite sustained and best possible efforts, the patient could not be revived and was declared deceased on 31st January 2026 at 9.41 p.m. NIMS extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and conveys its sincere sympathies during this hour of profound grief.”
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The incident sparked outrage across Telangana, with several ministers, including Women and Child Welfare Minister Dansari Anasuya and Telangana Jagruthi leader K Kavitha, condemning the incident and calling for better safety measures for security personnel on duty. Kavitha visited Soumya at NIMS on January 26.
Tributes poured in for Soumya. “Your courage is immortal. Yours was a supreme courage that defied death itself to stop the monstrous menace of drugs! Yours was an unparalleled sacrifice, holding onto your duty even while bleeding profusely! A salute to your courage, for not even hesitating to sacrifice your life for the protection of society! The fact that she was mercilessly run over and killed by a vehicle while trying to stop illegal trafficking shows how rampant the drug mafia has become. This incident is proof of how serious the threat of narcotics is. Soumya’s death is not just a tragedy, but a warning to society. A heartfelt tribute to Excise Constable Gajula Soumya, who fought against the monstrous menace of ganja and attained martyrdom in the line of duty! My deepest condolences to her family members,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar posted.
Senior Excise Department officials were present at Gandhi Hospital on Sunday morning, where the post-mortem was conducted. Soumya’s body will be taken to her native place for the last rites.
Two persons were arrested on the night of January 23, and two kg of ganja was seized from the car. Another accused was arrested by Nirmal district police two days later, while a fourth remains absconding.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance.
Expertise and Experience
Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues:
High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules.
Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes.
Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak.
Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
