The wife of a retired IPS officer and former Director General of Police, Vinay Ranjan Ray, was found dead at her residence in Hyderabad’s upscale Jubilee Hills area on Friday morning, police said.
The victim, identified as Tanuja Ranjan (55), also known as Sunanda, was allegedly smothered to death inside the family’s home in Prashasan Nagar, a high-security locality housing several senior officials.
According to preliminary findings, police suspect the involvement of a recently hired domestic worker from Nepal and her associates in the crime. The accused are believed to have fled the scene after the murder, taking valuables from the house.
Officials said the incident occurred on the first floor of the family’s three-storey residence. Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend those involved.
Following the incident, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar issued a public advisory urging residents to carry out thorough background checks and police verification before hiring domestic workers.
“This murder appears to have been committed with the cooperation of the woman working in the house. We have repeatedly advised people to verify domestic workers before employing them,” Sajjanar said, adding that such advisories had been issued over the past two months.
Officials also indicated that similar gangs have been active in cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune, pointing to a possible pattern of organised crimes targeting residential properties.
Police teams are currently working to identify and apprehend the accused. Authorities have reiterated the need for proper verification of domestic workers and heightened vigilance within residential communities.
The case comes amid rising concerns over crimes linked to domestic help. In a similar incident last month in Delhi, a 22-year-old woman, the daughter of an Income Tax officer, was found dead at her home in the Kailash Hills area. Preliminary investigations suggest she was allegedly sexually assaulted and then strangled with a mobile phone charging cable.
Police said the victim was alone at home at the time of the incident, as her parents had gone to the gym. Her body was later discovered under suspicious circumstances, following which police and forensic teams rushed to the scene and began a detailed examination.
The suspect, identified as Meena, had previously worked at the house for around eight months but was dismissed about six weeks ago over allegations of financial misconduct. Investigators believe he was under significant debt and had an addiction to online gaming.
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