Published Jun 23, 2026 | 2:02 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 23, 2026 | 2:02 PM
Sricharan and Radha. Credit: facebook.com/radha.gayathri.9698
Synopsis: Radha Gayatri Parupudi, a 27‑year‑old from Visakhapatnam, was found dead at a Mussoorie homestay on 15 June while vacationing with her husband, Sricharan. Her family alleged harassment and filed a murder case against him. Friends cited controlling behaviour, including surveillance and tracking. Uttarakhand police registered an FIR, but her family fears slow progress in the investigation.
Radha Gayatri Parupudi, a 27-year-old woman from Visakhapatnam, was found dead on 15 June at a homestay while on vacation with her husband in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. Based on the complaint lodged by Gayatri’s family, Uttarakhand police have registered a murder case against her husband, Sricharan.
Radha Gayatri, a fund account manager at an IT company in Gurgaon, married Sricharan Somayajula, a Pune-based Software Engineer, on 8 November, 2025. During the months leading up to her death, Gayatri was living in Delhi with Sricharan’s parents, who are Central government employees, while he lived in Pune.
According to the police, the couple travelled from Delhi to Rishikesh on 13 June, and later to Mussorie on 14 June. Sricharan told the police that the couple consumed alcohol through the night and retired to sleep at around 3:30 AM at their homestay.
He claimed that when he awoke, he found his wife unresponsive, naked, lying in a puddle of urine, and bleeding from her nose. Mussoorie police were alerted the following morning.
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According to friends and family, Radha Gayatri was a commerce graduate and originally worked at an MNC in Hyderabad before moving to Delhi. She had varied interests and pursued a master’s degree in psychology via distance learning while working.
Gayatri’s friends and former colleagues held a press conference at the Press Club in Somajiguda, Hyderabad, on Saturday, 20 June. They alleged that Gayatri had been under severe mental stress throughout the period of her marriage. She had raised several red flags regarding Sricharan’s behaviour but was unwilling to consider divorce. “She was worried about what her parents would go through had she divorced him,” a friend shared.
Vamsi, Gayatri’s former colleague, told South First that they had witnessed a change in her behaviour post-wedding. “She was a very social person, always active. But she changed completely after marrying Charan. In the early days, she would share with us what was bothering her. From what she told us, he was always suspicious of her and very controlling.”
Gayatri’s friends recalled multiple instances where they were wary of Sricharan’s behaviour. They alleged that, in February 2026, Gayatri found a tracker in her bag after workplace security pointed it out when she entered the premises. She was living alone in Hyderabad at the time, working late-night shifts, with her husband paying regular visits.
“When she told Sricharan that she had found a tracker, he said he would take it to the police. But Gayatri told us that he did not. Who else could have possibly done this?” her friends asked.
They also shared that Sricharan kept a watch on her through her neighbour’s security camera, which she learned about after he sent her a CCTV image of her getting off a bike-taxi.
“We never understood what his deal was. He was a very insecure man. He always wanted her to video call him. When I visited their home for a party, I did not find him to be a respectful person,” said Vamsi.
Gayatri moved to Delhi a few months ago and had been living with Sricharan’s parents. Her friends shared that he showed no interest in moving out of Pune. Speaking at the Press Club, Gayatri’s friend Mini said that she moved to Delhi only to stop him from being suspicious of her. She shared that Gayatri wanted to support him in getting psychological help.
“We lost touch after she moved to Delhi. She wasn’t sharing much with us. We heard from her family that things were getting better. So we were happy for her. She posted on Instagram about her trip to Uttarakhand; that’s how we knew about it. We only found out about her death through the news,” said Vamsi.
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Gayatri’s family raised several doubts about events surrounding Gayatri’s death and Sricharan’s version of them. Speaking to the media, her mother, Satyavati, shared that about 4 days before the trip to Uttarakhand, Gayatri said she would be travelling with Charan and his parents. But she later informed her mother of a change in the plan, and that only she and her husband would be going instead.
Satyavati claimed that she had spoken to Charan’s mother and told her not to let them go on vacation unless they were on good terms. Gayatri’s mother-in-law assured that they were. Gayatri also told her family that Charan was being extra nice to her in the days leading up to their trip.
Gayatri’s family shared that she was a teetotaller and rejected Charan’s claim that she consumed alcohol that night in Mussoorie.
Satyavati also flagged that Sricharan shared an intimate picture of himself and Gayatri, with the family at around 1 AM on 15 June, claiming that they were doing fine. They saw the picture in the morning and were surprised, as he had never shared such updates with them before.
They suspect that Charan is behind Gayatri’s death and have urged the police to help them get justice for their daughter. TDP MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao met with the family and promised them an unbiased inquiry.
Gayatri’s father, Sudhakar, lodged a complaint with Uttarakhand police, alleging that Sricharan had subjected Gayatri to mental harassment during the marriage. Sudhakar also met Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth seeking a thorough probe. Dehradun SSP appointed Inspector Sampurna Nand Gairola as the investigation officer for the case.
Inspector Gairola told South First that they have registered an FIR and the investigation is ongoing. Regarding the family’s claim that Sricharan is absconding, Gairola said the police are not currently in touch with him. He also said there are no new updates in the case.
Gayatri’s friend Charita shared that the family is concerned about the lack of progress in the investigation. They urged the authorities to take swift action and interrogate Charan.
Reports suggested that a case was also filed in Vizag, but Vizag Commissioner of Police Sankhabrata Bagchi told South First that he had not received any such complaint. Gayatri’s family also shared only the details related to the investigation in Mussoorie.
