On January 29, Telangana police found a 5-6-year-old girl drowned in the Nizam Sagar canal near Yedapally. The girl wore a glittery bindi and showed no signs of injury except a forehead contusion. Rescuers confirmed she had just drowned. Initially unclaimed, the girl was later identified as Prachi, a missing child from Mukhed in Maharashtra. Prachi was the older twin daughter of salon owner Pandurang Baburao Kondamangale. Police arrested Pandurang after CCTV footage showed him carrying Prachi to the canal and dropping her into the water. Investigators said he killed her to comply with the Maharashtra two-child rule for panchayat elections, as he and his wife had three children. Kondamangale wanted either himself or his wife to contest the sarpanch post, supported by the current local leader Ganesh Ramachandra Shinde. The law prevents candidates having more than two children from standing in local elections. Initially, Kondamangale considered giving away his 3-year-old son for adoption but dropped the plan due to legal issues. He then decided to kill Prachi. The father took Prachi on a bike ride, then left the mobile phone behind and masked himself, indicating premeditation. Prachi reportedly screamed "Papa, Papa" as he pushed her into the canal. After her death, Kondamangale and his wife falsely reported her missing and delayed filing a police complaint. Police charged Kondamangale with kidnapping, murder, and destroying evidence. Shinde, the sitting sarpanch, is also accused of abetting the crime by promising support and money for the election. Villagers mostly back Shinde and deny his involvement. The tragedy has shocked the local communities in Telangana and Maharashtra. Prachi's mother and siblings have moved to relatives' homes for safety. Telangana police continue probing. Yedapally residents described the incident as deeply upsetting, unable to forget the haunting scene by the canal.