Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Police Arrest Suspect in Nursing Student Murder Case
Police arrested a man over the death of 18-year-old nursing student Harini.
She was found dead at her home on September 22.
Police first treated the case as a suspicious death.
A postmortem later said she had been strangled with a wire-like object.
Police then registered the case as murder.
One report said the suspect was angry after Harini rejected his love proposal.
Another said they had been in a relationship and argued about marriage.
Reports also use different names for the suspect, calling him Devarakonda Praveen Kumar or D Pavan Kumar.
Police said he hid his motorcycle near a canal and was arrested while trying to retrieve it.
Julurupadu police arrested a man identified as Devarakonda Praveen Kumar or D Pavan Kumar in connection with the death of 18-year-old nursing student Indravelli Harini.
Harini was found dead at her home in Venngannapalem between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on September 22.
Police initially registered a suspicious-death case under Section 194 of the BNSS and later changed it to murder under Section 103(1) of the BNS.
A postmortem reportedly found that Harini had been strangled with a wire-like object.
Police said the suspect hid a motorcycle near the Sitarama Project canal and was arrested there after receiving information.
- Who
- Julurupadu police arrested a man identified in the reports as Devarakonda Praveen Kumar or D Pavan Kumar in connection with Harini’s death.
- What
- Harini’s suspicious-death investigation was changed to a murder case after police said a postmortem found strangulation.
- When
- Harini was found dead on September 22; the arrest was reported on Thursday.
- Where
- Harini was found at her home in Venngannapalem, Bhadradri-Kothagudem district; the arrest occurred near the Sitarama Project canal on Ontigudise Road.
- Why
- Police attributed the alleged killing to relationship and marriage-related disputes, while another account said the suspect acted after Harini rejected his love proposal.
First Report’s Account
Second Report’s Account
Suspect’s identity
First Report’s Account
The first report identifies the arrested person as Devarakonda Praveen Kumar and separately mentions Pawan Kumar as absconding.
Second Report’s Account
The second report identifies the arrested person as D Pavan Kumar.
Relationship and alleged motive
First Report’s Account
Police reportedly said the suspect developed enmity after Harini rejected his love proposal.
Second Report’s Account
Police reportedly said Harini and Pavan Kumar had been in a relationship for about four years and that disputes over marriage preceded the alleged killing.
Arrest and evidence
First Report’s Account
The first report says the suspect hid his motorcycle near the canal, traveled to Visakhapatnam and Tirupati for nine days, and was arrested after a tip.
Second Report’s Account
The second report says police recovered the motorcycle, two mobile phones, bike gear wire and other articles after tracing him near the canal.
- Victim
- Indravelli Harini, also reported as Indrapalli Harini, 18, a B.Sc. Nursing student
- Suspect name in reports
- Devarakonda Praveen Kumar; another report identifies him as D Pavan Kumar
- Date of death
- September 22
- Initial case
- Suspicious-death case under Section 194 of the BNSS
- Updated case
- Murder case under Section 103(1) of the BNS
- Reported cause of death
- Strangulation with a wire-like object, according to the postmortem account
- Recovered items
- A motorcycle, two mobile phones including the victim’s phone, bike gear wire and other articles, according to police
