Hyderabad: The mysterious disappearance of Kerala murder accused Sukumara Kurup has once again brought stories of long-running escapes from the law into focus. Among the most astonishing is the case of Sandela Veeranna in Telangana, who allegedly remained out of prison for nearly four decades, built a respectable life as a government schoolteacher and even received the state’s Best Teacher Award before finally being arrested.
Veeranna was serving as a government schoolteacher in the Mahabubabad district and was known among students and colleagues as a respected educator. Unknown to those around him, however, he was a convicted murder prisoner who had failed to return to jail after being released on parole.
The case dates back to 1983, when Veeranna was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case in the then Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. He spent only six months and seven days in prison before being granted parole. He was required to return to jail on March 18, 1984, but never did so. Instead, he disappeared and began a new life under the radar.
Veeranna eventually settled in the Mahabubabad region and secured employment as a teacher at a government school in Gudivada. For years, he managed to conceal his past while continuing his professional career without raising suspicion.
The extraordinary twist came in 2004, when the Andhra Pradesh government honoured him with the state's Best Teacher Award. The same government system that had records of him as a life-term convict and absconder was now publicly recognising him for his service in education.
Veeranna continued working until his retirement in 2013 and subsequently received a government pension. Despite police efforts to trace him at various stages, he remained beyond their reach.
His four-decade-long run finally ended in May 2024, when a special team of the Telangana Prisons Department, assisted by Mahabubabad police, located and arrested him. He was subsequently lodged in Cherlapally Central Jail.
In September 2024, prison authorities initiated disciplinary action against him for failing to return from parole. Around 27 days of leave he had been entitled to were cancelled, and he was barred from parole or other leave until August 10, 2027. The restrictions were ordered to apply even to medical requirements
Veeranna’s family later approached the Telangana High Court seeking relief, citing his age and health. The plea was rejected, with the court reportedly pointing to serious failures in the prison administration that had allowed a life convict to remain undetected for decades.
The case has left a striking question behind: how did a convicted murderer disappear from the prison system, secure a government job, receive the state’s highest recognition for teaching and retire with a pension—all while remaining a wanted prisoner?
Veeranna’s extraordinary journey has now earned comparisons with Kerala’s Sukumara Kurup, highlighting the startling gaps through which fugitives can sometimes slip past the law and the very institutions meant to track them.