A 27-year-old software engineer was found dead in the swimming pool during a weekend office party at a farmhouse in Koyyalagudem, located in the Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, Hyderabad following which police have launched a murder investigation.
The victim, Gandla Ramu, a resident of Mancherial district, was employed at Ascent Business Solutions in Uppal. Ramu had joined approximately 20 colleagues and their team leader for a late-night gathering when the tragedy occurred.
Investigators have revealed that alcohol was heavily consumed during the late-night gathering at the Koyyalagudem farmhouse. According to police sources, tension escalated when Ramu allegedly became involved in a brief, heated argument with one of his colleagues, according to The Times of India.
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According to authorities, Ramu was discovered unresponsive in the farmhouse's swimming pool at around 1:00 am on Sunday. Although colleagues pulled him from the water and attempted CPR before rushing him to Choutuppal Government Hospital, he was declared brought dead.
While initial circumstances suggested an accidental drowning, Choutuppal police formally registered a murder case following a complaint filed by the victim's father, G. Anjaiah. The family allege foul play, claiming Ramu was physically assaulted with a stick after a brief, alcohol-fuelled altercation with a colleague.
While the family suspects assault, Choutuppal police confirmed they have recovered Gandla Ramu's mobile phone and corporate identification card from the farmhouse premises as part of the ongoing investigation, as per TOI.
Investigators stated they are currently waiting for the final, comprehensive post-mortem report to definitively determine the exact cause of death. Until the autopsy results clarify whether Ramu succumbed to drowning or suffered internal trauma prior to entering the pool, authorities are keeping all angles of the investigation open.
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"We have registered a case based on a complaint lodged by the deceased's father. All angles are being examined, and the exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem report is received," Choutuppal Inspector N Manmadha Rao said, reported NDTV.
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