A body believed to be that of the man alleged of killing six people in Shabad mandal, was found on Kothur road in Ranga Reddy district on Monday afternoon, bringing the three-day manhunt to a possible close.

Police said a Dial 100 call received from a villager at around 3 p.m. alerted them to the body lying by the roadside. Officers found that the clothing matched that seen on CCTV footage that had captured the accused’s movements after the killings.

A bottle suspected to be that of a pesticide was also recovered from the scene. Police are investigating whether the man died after consuming the substance. However, the identity of the deceased is yet to be officially confirmed through forensic and other procedures.

This comes a day after investigators traced the accused through CCTV footage from Thimmapur railway station in Ranga Reddy district. The footage reportedly showed him standing on the railway tracks as a train approached before stepping away at the last moment and fleeing. Police sources had said the accused had telephoned his father shortly after the killings, confessed to murdering six people and claimed that he intended to end his life.

The accused had been the subject of an intensive search involving 13 police teams, including personnel from the Special Operations Team (SOT), Central Crime Station (CCS) and district police units. The Suryapet police had joined the operation on Monday as investigators pursued multiple leads across Telangana.

Police alleged that the accused killed six people late on Friday night at two locations about six kilometres apart in Shabad mandal. He is accused of first attacking the family of a minor girl who had earlier lodged a case against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, before allegedly returning home and killing his wife, Sarita, and their two young sons.

Senior police officers reached the spot on Monday evening, and the body was shifted for post-mortem examination. Police said further details would be known after the identification process and forensic examination are completed.