Four Nepal gang members held in murder of retired IPS officer’s wife in Hyderabad

• Four members of a Nepal-based gang, including a domestic worker, arrested in Hyderabad murder case.

• Police allege the accused killed Tanuja Ranjan, wife of a retired IPS officer, during a robbery in May.

• Investigators say the gang planned similar crimes in Bengaluru and Delhi using domestic workers.

Four alleged members of a Nepal-based gang, including a domestic worker, have been arrested in connection with the murder of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, in Hyderabad in May, police said on Monday.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the four near Nampally railway station following months of surveillance and investigations across several states and along the India-Nepal border.

The murder took place on the intervening night of 7 and 8 May at the couple’s residence in Prashasan Nagar, within the limits of Jubilee Hills police station.

The victim’s daughter lodged a complaint on 8 May after finding her mother dead in her bedroom with her hands tied and a cloth stuffed into her mouth. The room had been ransacked, wardrobes broken open and valuables stolen, police said.

The domestic worker, Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, a Nepal native, was missing after the incident, and her mobile phone was switched off, according to police.

Sajjanar alleged that the accused entered the house as part of a planned robbery, smothered the victim and escaped with 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables.

The four arrested were identified as Dharma, Ganesh B K, Chandra Bahudur Tamang and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi. Police said they were from Nepal and worked as a domestic worker, labourer, cook and watchman, respectively. Investigators seized cash worth Rs 51,130 and other material from them.

According to the police account, Dharma had been employed as a domestic help in Hyderabad and remained in contact with Bikas, a Nepal national based in Pune. During a visit to Pune in April, she allegedly came into contact with the other gang members.

On 7 May, Ganesh and other accused allegedly met Dharma near her workplace, surveyed the premises and discussed how to enter the house. Police said Dharma opened the door for them during the night. When Tanuja Ranjan woke up, one accused allegedly gagged and assaulted her while Ganesh restrained and tied her limbs, causing her death by suffocation.

The accused then allegedly ransacked the house and fled through the rear gate. To evade detection, they split into three groups and escaped to Nepal, where the stolen valuables were disposed of at different locations, police said.

Earlier, on 22 May, police arrested another alleged prime accused, Sunil Bahadur Aauji, and a person identified as the receiver of stolen property, Dilip Bahadur Mijar. Police recovered 26 grams of the stolen property from them.

The SIT conducted investigations in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Uttarakhand, as well as along the India-Nepal border, Sajjanar said.

Police further alleged that the gang had planned similar crimes in Bengaluru and Delhi, using domestic workers to facilitate entry into homes. The investigation is continuing to trace and arrest other suspects who remain at large.