Soundarya's Death Case: Who Is Mohan Babu? Actor Booked Under Murder Charges After Two Decades

Sowmya Sathyanarayana, better remembered by her stage name, Soundarya, was one of the finest actresses of her generation. The iconic actress predominantly worked in Telugu cinema and featured in Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam movies. With three Nandi Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, Karnataka State Film Awards, and a National Film Award for Best Feature Film, Soundarya is often regarded as one of the greatest Telugu actresses ever. She made her acting debut in 1992 with the Kannada film, Baa Nanna Preethisu. Her first Telugu film was Manavarali Pelli.

Soundarya was a huge name in South Indian cinema, courtesy of her exceptional work in a series of hit films. Some of her most memorable films from the South cinema include Ammoru, Pavithra Bandham, Doni Saagali, Anthapuram, Raja, Thavasi, Ivan, Dweepa, Apthamitra, and many more. However, she rose to nationwide fame after she started working in Hindi cinema. The actress is best known for her work in the iconic film, Sooryavansham opposite Amitabh Bachchan, which made her a household name across India. 

Sooryavansham actress, Soundarya's death case: The actress was pregnant when she died in a plane crash at the age of just 32

Soundarya was riding high on professional success and signed a series of big-budget projects back in 2004. However, on April 17, 2004, she boarded a single-engine Cessna 180 from Bengaluru's Jakkur airstrip. The actress was on her way to attend a political campaign in Karimnagar, Andhra Pradesh. Unfortunately, five minutes reportedly into the air, Cessna burst into pieces and crashed. Soundarya and a few more who were on that ill-fated flight couldn't make it out.

For the uninitiated, Soundarya was married to G.S. Raghu; the couple got married in 2003. According to a report in India Today, Soundarya was pregnant when she was travelling in a Cessna aircraft that unfortunately crashed on the campus of Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra. It was a huge loss for G.S. Raghu, who lost his wife and unborn child in the tragic plane crash. He was a software executive by profession, and after Soundarya's demise, not much is known about his whereabouts. 

Who is Mohan Babu? Telugu actor booked 22 years after actress' death on the allegations of being involved in her murder

Soundarya passed away in 2004, and after 22-long-years, it was in March 2025 when famous Telugu actor, Mohan Babu was booked under some severe charges linked to the late actress' murder. According to a report in News18 Kannada, a person named Chittimallu has filed a fresh complaint against Mohan Babu, citing that Soundarya's death wasn't accidental. The complainant also added that Soundarya owned a six-acre land parcel in Jalpalli village.

As per Chittimallu's complaint, Mohan Babu wanted to purchase the same land, which led to a fight between the two families. It was Soundarya's brother who stopped Mohan Babu from purchasing that land. Further in the complaint, Chittimallu shared that the tension between the two parties went to a level where Mohan Babu planned the plane crash. After the tragic demise of Soundarya and her brother, who was also on the plane, Mohan Babu forcefully occupied that particular land.

The allegations have taken the entire nation by storm because, all this time, everyone was told that Soundarya died in a plane crash. However, after Chittimallu's confession, things changed because the allegations completely changed the entire incident. Although there are no proofs on the table as of now, there is no doubt a proper investigation will be on the way. It will be interesting to see how things will go from here.

Talking about Mohan Babu’s personal life, he is married to a lady named Vidya Devi. The couple has a son named Manchu Vishnu and a daughter, Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna. According to a report in Republic World, after the demise of his first wife, Vidya Devi, Mohan Babu got married to his late wife’s younger sister, Nirmala Devi. Mohan and Nirmala gave birth to a baby boy whom they had named Manchu Manoj. All three children of Mohan Babu are working in the film industry and are also married. 

What are your thoughts on Mohan Babu being booked under the charges of being allegedly involved in Soundarya's murder? Let us know.

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