Ex-IPS officer wife’s murder: 4 members of Nepal-based gang held

The arrests were made by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to crack cases involving Nepali gangs, in coordination with Jubilee Hills police, near Nampally Railway Station.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police on Monday, October 26, arrested four members of an alleged Nepal-based interstate gang, including a domestic worker, in connection with the murder of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, at their residence in Prashasan Nagar in Jubilee Hills in May.

The arrests were made by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to crack cases involving Nepali gangs, in coordination with Jubilee Hills police, near Nampally Railway Station. The police seized Rs 51,130 in cash and other incriminating material from the suspects.

The arrested persons were identified as Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, 26, who worked as a domestic help at the victim’s house; Ganesh B.K., 31; Chandra Bahadur Tamang, 44; and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, 37. All four are natives of Nepal.

The murder occurred on the intervening night of May 7 and 8. The victim’s daughter lodged a complaint on May 8 after finding her mother dead in the bedroom with her hands tied and a cloth stuffed into her mouth. The house had been ransacked, and 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables were missing.

‘Domestic help shared info about valuables at home’

Police said Dharma had allegedly shared information about the household’s valuables with gang members and facilitated their entry when the victim’s employer was away. The suspects allegedly entered the house, restrained and smothered the woman before fleeing with the valuables. They later divided the stolen property among themselves and escaped to Nepal.

A prime suspect, Sunil Bahadur Aauji, alias Sunil Pariyar, and an alleged receiver, Dilip Bahadur Mijar, alias Sonar, were arrested in May, with 26 grams of stolen property recovered. Two other suspects remain absconding.

The SIT, constituted on May 19, conducted searches across several states and tracked the suspects through technical surveillance and local informers. The operation also resulted in the execution of five pending non-bailable warrants against other absconding Nepali nationals and the apprehension of another alleged habitual property offender linked to eight cases.

Police urged residents to verify the identities, documents and employment histories of domestic workers, cooks and watchmen, particularly those hired from outside their locality. Citizens can contact the police on 112 or the Hyderabad City Police WhatsApp helpline at 94906 16555 to report suspicious activity.