HYDERABAD: The wife of a retired IPS officer was allegedly murdered during a suspected robbery at her residence in Prashasan Nagar under the Jubilee Hills police station limits in the early hours of Friday.
The victim, identified as Tanuja (55), wife of former Andhra Pradesh DG-rank IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, was found dead on the first floor of the house while her children were reportedly asleep on the top floor. Police said the incident occurred around 2 am when a gang allegedly entered the house with the help of the family’s domestic worker.
According to Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar, the case appears to be a “murder for gain”. Preliminary investigation revealed that a four-member Nepali gang, along with the domestic help identified as Kalpana, tied Tanuja up and gagged her with a cloth, leading to suffocation.
Police suspect the accused targeted the house after learning that Tanuja was alone at home, as Vinay Ranjan was reportedly out of the city at the time of the incident. After committing the crime, the accused allegedly fled with valuables from the residence and are currently absconding. Police said crucial evidence was collected from the crime scene and the accused would be arrested soon.
Kalpana had reportedly been working at the house for the past year and was initially hired to assist the retired officer’s mother.
On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and shifted the body for postmortem examination. Senior officials, including DGP CV Anand, Hyderabad CP VC Sajjanar and ADGP Mahesh Bhagwat, visited the crime scene. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.