Hyderabad Police have arrested four alleged members of a Nepal-based gang in connection with the murder and robbery of Tanuja Ranjan, the wife of a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, following a five-month investigation spanning several states and the India-Nepal border.
The four accused, including a former domestic worker at the victim’s residence, were arrested near Nampally Railway Station on Monday, police said. The investigation found that the domestic worker allegedly shared information about the household with the gang, helping its members plan the robbery.
Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, was found murdered at her residence in Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, on May 8. According to police, her hands and limbs were tied, and a cloth had been stuffed into her mouth. She died of suffocation, while around 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables were stolen from the house.
The accused have been identified as Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, 26, Ganesh B K, 31, Chandra Bahadur Tamang, 44, and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, 37. All four are natives of Nepal.
According to investigators, Tiruwa allegedly informed the gang about the household’s routine and helped facilitate the crime. The gang members allegedly entered the house, restrained the victim and fled with the stolen valuables before escaping towards Nepal.
Police seized Rs 51,130 in cash and other material allegedly linked to the crime during the latest arrests.
A special investigation team (SIT) was formed on May 19 to investigate the case and trace the accused. The team conducted searches in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Uttarakhand, besides carrying out operations near the India-Nepal border.
Police had earlier arrested two other accused in May and recovered around 26 grams of stolen property. Two other suspects remain absconding, according to reports.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar urged residents to verify the identities and employment histories of domestic workers and other household staff, and advised people against sharing details about valuables and household routines with outsiders.
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