HANUMAKONDA: A man allegedly killed his wife and two daughters by drowning them in a private swimming pool in Punnela village of Ainavolu mandal in Hanumakonda district on Wednesday night.
Police said the accused, Ajaruddin, was upset that his pregnant wife Farahat, 26, was carrying a female foetus and refused to undergo an abortion.
Children drowned after witnessing mother's murder
The couple, married for ten years, had two daughters Umera, 8, and Ayesha, 7. Umera studied in Class II and Ayesha in UKG.
According to investigators, Ajaruddin took his wife and children to their farmhouse pool around 8 pm on the pretext of eating ice cream. After dinner, he allegedly switched off CCTV cameras and lights before pushing Farahat into the pool and drowning her.
When the children saw their mother being killed and ran towards her shouting "Mummy", he dragged them into the water and drowned them as well, police said.
Accused stages accident, confesses during inquiry
After ensuring their deaths, Ajaruddin called his father and brother and claimed that the three had accidentally drowned while he was in the bathroom.
The victims were taken to a hospital in Warangal, where doctors declared them dead.
Police initially registered a case of suspicious death. During inquiry, the accused confessed to the murders. As Farahat was three months pregnant, police have booked him for causing the deaths of four persons, including the unborn foetus.