Out on bail in YouTuber wife's murder, man hacked to death in front of eatery

Out on bail in connection with the murder of his YouTuber wife, Gandham Vaishnavi, Chittari Haribabu was hacked to death by an unidentified assailant at Rajarajendra (RR) Crossroads in Telangana’s Nizamabad on Thursday evening, police said.

According to preliminary reports, Haribabu was at a roadside eatery near the busy junction when a person allegedly arrived in a car, approached him and attacked him with a sharp weapon. The assailant then fled in the waiting vehicle. Police are yet to establish the exact sequence of events or identify those responsible.

Haribabu, 26, was the accused in the murder case of his wife Vaishnavi, who had 50,000 subscribers at the time of her death. The 20-year-old’s body was found by her parents in a pool of blood inside her room, with multiple stab wounds to her hands, neck and head. Her husband was missing at the time.

Police had registered a case following a complaint by her family, who alleged that she had been subjected to harassment over additional dowry. Haribabu was arrested after he went on the run and was recently released on bail.

Haribabu was reportedly working as a receptionist at a local government office before quitting his job around the time of the murder. He had also featured in his wife’s vlogs, in which she documented her daily life and family.

Following Thursday’s attack, Nizamabad police reached the spot, collected evidence and shifted Haribabu’s body to the Government General Hospital for post-mortem examination. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being examined to trace the attacker(s) and the vehicle used in the crime.

Police are also examining whether Haribabu’s killing was connected to the earlier death of Vaishnavi. The motive has not yet been officially established, and the investigation is underway.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Sep 17, 2026 23:59 IST