In a shocking incident from the upscale and high-security locality of Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, the wife of a retired Director General of Police (DGP) was allegedly murdered inside her residence on Friday, with police suspecting the involvement of a domestic help and two unidentified accomplices.
The victim, Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, was found unresponsive in her bedroom by her daughters, who reside on another floor of the same house. Police said her hands were tied, and a cloth had been stuffed into her mouth. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.
According to investigators, the accused gained entry into the house with the help of a domestic help identified as Kalpana, who had been working with the family. Despite the passing of the retired officer’s elderly mother two months ago—whom Kalpana had been hired to care for—she continued to stay at the residence due to the family’s trust in her.
Police sources revealed that the crime was premeditated. While Ray was away in Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment, the domestic help allegedly called two men who conducted prior reconnaissance of the property. In the early hours after midnight, the trio reportedly entered the house, accessed the victim’s bedroom around 1 am, and overpowered her when she woke up. During the assault, her hands were tied with rope, and her mouth was gagged with cloth, causing her to lose consciousness. The accused then looted cash, gold ornaments, and other valuables from the house before fleeing.
CCTV footage reviewed by the police shows the suspects escaping by jumping over a boundary wall and moving towards the Journalist Colony area through a nearby park. Officials have recovered two mobile phones and a hat believed to have been left behind by the accused during their escape.
Senior officials, including Telangana DGP C V Anand and Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, visited the crime scene. Multiple teams—more than ten—have been formed to trace the accused, with some units dispatched to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar amid concerns that the suspects may attempt to flee across state lines.
Police have urged citizens to exercise caution while employing domestic workers and to carry out proper background verification.
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