HYDERABAD: Four members of a Nepalese gang, including a domestic worker who allegedly facilitated the murder and robbery of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, at their Jubilee Hills residence in May, have been arrested, Hyderabad City Commissioner of Police (CP) VC Sajjanar said at a press meet on Monday.
The arrests were made near Nampally railway station by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and Jubilee Hills police. The gang was allegedly planning robberies in Gurugram and Bengaluru and had conducted reconnaissance in both cities before the arrests, Sajjanar added.
The arrested were identified as Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana (26), who worked as a domestic help at the victim’s house, Ganesh Bishwakarma alias Dinesh Tapa (31), Chandra Bahadur Tamang alias Ranjeet Thapa (44) and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi (37). Police seized `51,130 in cash and other incriminating material from them. Two other accused in the murder case remain absconding, the CP added.
Tanuja was found dead in her bedroom at her residence in Prashasan Nagar during the intervening night of May 7 and 8. The accused allegedly smothered her, ransacked the house and escaped with gold and other valuables.
Investigators spent over five months along the India-Nepal border, conducting field inquiries in hilly terrain to gather intelligence on the accused, police said.
Prime suspect joined as maid in ’25: CP
Police had earlier arrested Sunil Bahadur Aauji alias Sunil Pariyar, one of the prime accused, and Dilip Bahadur Mijar alias Sonar, who allegedly received the stolen property, on May 22. Twenty-six grams of the stolen property were recovered from them.
According to Sajjanar, Kalpana joined the household in June 2025 at a monthly salary of around Rs 20,000. She allegedly remained in contact with gang members and shared information about her employer and the family’s routine.
The gang allegedly planned the robbery after Ray Vinay Ranjan left for Bengaluru on May 4. Its members travelled from Pune to Hyderabad, some by car and others by bus or along separate routes. On May 7, two accused allegedly met Kalpana near her workplace and conducted reconnaissance.
Later that evening, the gang members assembled near Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station and split into two groups. One was tasked with carrying out the robbery, while the other kept watch near Nampally railway station, the CP said.
During the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Kalpana allegedly facilitated the gang’s entry into the house. When Tanuja woke up, the accused allegedly gagged and restrained her, causing her death by suffocation. They then ransacked the wardrobes and fled through the rear gate with the valuables.
The accused later travelled towards Kazipet, where they allegedly divided the stolen property into nine shares before splitting into smaller groups to evade arrest. They subsequently fled to Nepal and disposed of the stolen valuables at different locations, police said.
The Hyderabad City Police constituted a dedicated SIT on May 19 to investigate property offences allegedly committed by Nepalese gangs across Telangana. Supervised by DCP (Commissioner’s Task Force) Vaibhav Raghunath Gaikwad, the team conducted searches and field inquiries across India. .
The SIT traced the suspects’ movements, employment and hideouts through inquiries along the India-Nepal border and local intelligence networks, leading to Monday’s arrests, Sajjanar said. The accused had planned similar offences in Bengaluru and Delhi, allegedly using domestic workers to gather information and gain entry into houses.
The SIT also executed five pending non-bailable warrants against Nepalese nationals wanted in property-related cases and arrested Jeevan Chand alias Jiban, an alleged habitual offender wanted in eight cases across Telangana, Karnataka and Gujarat.