Srinivas Achanta accused of murdering of mother of two in Vermont in Melbourne’s east
Updated ,first published
A man appeared in court accused of killing his partner along with their two children at a home in Vermont.
Srinivas Achanta, 39, is accused of murdering Lavanya Chappa, 39, after police were called to reports of a stabbing that occurred at the Delatite Courthouse just before 10pm on Tuesday.
Chappa was found dead in the home, and Achanta was hospitalized under police guard before homicide detectives formally charged him with a count of murder Thursday afternoon.
“The two children in the home were not physically injured during the incident,” police said in a statement late Thursday.
“Police believe the parties involved knew each other.”
The alleged killer appeared in the dock at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court just after 10.30am on Friday.
Judge Frances Medina did not read the custody management issues presented in writing by Achanta’s attorney, Alex Wolf. He detained Achanta to testify again on November 7.
A crime scene was set up for much of Wednesday in the usually quiet residential area in Melbourne’s east where the murder is alleged to have taken place.
Real estate records show Srinivas Achanta purchased the Delatite Courthouse, where Chappa was found dead, for $1.4 million in early 2024.
A. LinkedIn profile It shows he – believed to belong to the accused – moved from Singapore in February 2024 to start a job in Melbourne. The account indicates that he was originally from India.
Little is known about the victim. talking neighbors Age The family has largely kept to themselves, it was stated on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
One woman said she saw the mother of two doing a school pickup run nearby. Two other residents said they sometimes saw a man playing cricket in the street and a young boy in the house.
The house where the murder allegedly took place was shuttered and quiet on Thursday after the police left the night before.
A child’s chalk drawing was scrawled in the driveway, and several pairs of shoes could be seen near the front door.
Brett Czarny, who has lived nearby for more than 25 years, said he only realized something was wrong when he heard police cars flying toward the house late Tuesday.
“We never heard from them… We probably saw them passing by occasionally but didn’t pay much attention,” he said.
“It’s very unfortunate that this has happened… I feel very sorry for the family. I think there are two children involved as well, so I feel very sorry for them and of course the poor woman who lost her life.”
Be the first to know when important news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts Turn on notifications in email or in the app.
Lachlan Abbott is a crime reporter for The Age. She was previously a city reporter, covering breaking news.Connect via email.
