The wife of retired IPS officer and former Director General of Police Vinay Ranjan Ray was found dead at her residence in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills locality on Friday morning, police officials said.
The victim, identified as Tanuja Ranjan (55), also known as Sunanda, was allegedly smothered to death inside the family’s residence in Prashasan Nagar, a high-security neighbourhood known for housing several senior government officials and police officers.
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According to preliminary investigations, police suspect the involvement of a recently hired domestic worker from Nepal along with a few associates. Investigators believe the accused fled the scene after allegedly murdering the woman and stealing valuables from the house.
Officials said the crime took place on the first floor of the family’s three-storey home. Multiple police teams have been deployed to trace and apprehend the suspects, while forensic experts continue to examine evidence collected from the scene.
Following the incident, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar issued a strong advisory to residents, urging them to conduct proper police verification and background checks before employing domestic workers.
“This murder appears to have been committed with the cooperation of the woman working in the house. We have repeatedly advised citizens to verify domestic workers before hiring them,” Sajjanar said. He added that awareness advisories on the issue had been circulated over the past two months.
Police officials also noted that similar criminal gangs have reportedly been active in cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune, suggesting a possible organised network targeting residential properties.
Authorities have once again stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance in residential communities and ensuring proper verification procedures for household staff.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over crimes linked to domestic help across major Indian cities. In a similar case reported in Delhi last month, a 22-year-old woman, the daughter of an Income Tax officer, was found dead at her residence in Kailash Hills.
Preliminary investigations in the Delhi case indicated that the victim was allegedly sexually assaulted and strangled with a mobile phone charging cable while she was alone at home. Police later identified the suspect as Meena, a former domestic worker who had reportedly been dismissed from the household weeks earlier over allegations of financial misconduct.
Investigators said the accused was allegedly facing severe debt and had developed an addiction to online gaming.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
