Hyderabad, Oct 26 Four members of a Nepal-based gang including a woman were arrested in connection with the sensational murder of a retired IPS officer’s wife here in May this year, police said on Monday.
In a major breakthrough, police busted the notorious international gang from Nepal, apprehending four members responsible for the brutal murder-for-gain of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar said.
The incident occurred on the intervening night of May 7-8 at Prashasan Nagar within the limits of Jubilee Hills Police Station.
On May 8, the victim’s daughter lodged a complaint stating that her mother was found dead in her bedroom with her hands tied and a cloth stuffed into her mouth.
The bedroom was completely ransacked, wardrobes were broken open, and valuables found missing. The domestic maid, Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, a native of Nepal, was found absconding, and her mobile phone was switched off, police said.
During the investigation, it was established that the accused persons criminally trespassed into the house with common intention, smothered the victim to death, and decamped with 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables, Sajjanar said.
Following sustained efforts, round-the-clock technical surveillance, and continuous tracking of the suspects across states, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Hyderabad City Police that acted on credible intelligence apprehended the four near Nampally Railway Station in the city on Monday, he said.
The accused were identified as Dharma, Ganesh B K, Chandra Bahudur Tamang and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, all natives of Nepal and worked as maid, labourer, cook and watchman respectively.
The police also seized incriminating material and net cash of Rs 51,130 from their possession.
Earlier, on May 22, the Task Force teams apprehended a prime accused, Sunil Bahadur Aauji, along with the receiver, Dilip Bahadur Mijar, and recovered 26 grams of the stolen property from their possession.
To track down the suspects, the SIT conducted extensive field operations across multiple states and visited Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, and Uttarakhand. The team travelled to India–Nepal borders and camped there for over five months, carrying out intensive field inquiries in remote and hilly terrains for gathering crucial intelligence for the accused persons, the senior official said.
Police said it was in June this year, that Dharma migrated to Hyderabad through her relative, and was employed as a domestic help.
During her employment, she remained in close contact with Bikas, a Nepali national based in Pune. In April, she visited Pune to attend to her ailing father and there she came into contact with the gang members.
On May 7, Ganesh and other accused met Dharma near her workplace, conducted a recce of the premises, and instructed her on how to facilitate their entry, police said.
In the intervening night of May 7-8, as per plan Dharma opened the door and the other gang members entered the house.
“After the victim suddenly woke up, one of the accused gagged her and assaulted her, while Ganesh restrained and tied her limbs, causing death by suffocation,” the commissioner said.
The accused ransacked the almirahs and looted gold jewellery and other valuables. After committing the crime, the accused escaped through the rear gate and to evade police detection, they split into three smaller groups, fled to Nepal, and disposed of the stolen valuables across various locations in Nepal, police said.
Again, these gang members planned to commit similar offences in Bengaluru and Delhi by employing the domestic servants, police said, adding, by arresting them commission of new offences was prevented.
Special police teams are continuing sustained field and technical efforts to track down and apprehend absconding accused, the release added.
(PTI News)
