On January 30, when Vijaya Reddy drove away from her home in Haritha Vanam Colony, Chengicherla in Hyderabad outskirts, she carried with her a note. “I am fed up. I can’t do this anymore,” the note, later found in her car by railway police officials, read.
The 38-year-old Vijaya Reddy allegedly died by suicide by jumping in front of a good train that night. But what the Hyderabad railway police force is investigating now is how she convinced her grown children – Chetana Reddy, 18, and Vishal Reddy, 17 – to die along with her. All three jumped in front of the same train at Cherlapally station in the early hours of January 31.
Vijaya’s trip out of her family home that fateful evening was ordinary, raising no suspicion with her mother Pushpalatha. According to Pushpalatha, Vijaya said that she has to go to her office. When asked why she was taking her personal car out instead of her office car, Vijaya told Pushpalatha that she has to attend urgent work.
Instead of driving to her office, Vijaya drove to her daughter Chetana in Patancheru and picked her up. Later she picked up her son from Ghatkesar. To relieve the children at short notice, she told the hostel staff that there was a death in the family.
“She told the hostel staff that the children have to attend a funeral,” a railway police official investigating the case told The Indian Express.
As the three drove a 12-kilometer distance to the Cherlapally Railway station, the decision was allegedly made. “She seems to have convinced her children to die along with her during this short trip,” a police officer said.
On the CCTV footage of the station, visuals were clear. They showed Vijaya and her children getting out of the car and walking to the end of the platform on the Cherlapally Railway station. A train whistles past and three are seen jumping in front of it. At around 12:40 am on January 31, the loco-pilot of the goods train alerted the deputy superintendent at Cherlapally station that three people had been hit by his train. The police later identified the three as Vijaya and her children.
Story continues below this ad
Her suicide note added: “I cannot leave my children. I am taking them with me. No one is responsible for this”. The police have questioned Vijaya’s husband Surender Reddy who works in Dubai, her mother Pushpalatha, two neighbours and three colleagues.
“None of these conversations with any of those related to her led us to any clues about her decision to die by suicide,” railway police official investigating the case, said.
The family had no financial constraints. “They had no money problems as both the parents were earning well,” one officer said. Vijay was not in an unhappy marriage, her husband Surender swore. “We were happy. I don’t know how this happened. I have not wrapped my head around it,” he said. He had last spoken to her on January 28, on the occasion of their wedding anniversary. “That conversation, I will never forget,” he said. The call too was not extraordinary. “She sounded fine,” he said.
Vijaya also “did not have any health problems” the family told the police.
Story continues below this ad
At work too, Vijaya showed no signs of fatigue or disappointment, the police said. “The work conversations were merely work conversations and no personal messages were exchanged, her colleagues say,” the officer said. The police have sent Vijaya’s laptop and phone for forensic examination on February 5 to see if any messages would pop up to solve the mystery of the triple suicide.
“Everyone is wondering how she convinced her grown children to die with her. We are investigating this angle keenly,” the officer said.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
Find all stories by Nikhila Henry here. ... Read More
