Ex-IPS Officer’s Wife Killed In Jubilee Hills Robbery
Police suspect the role of a domestic help in the incident
HYDERABAD: Tanuja Ranjan, 62, wife of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, was murdered during a robbery attempt inside her residence at Prashasannagar, Jubilee Hills, in the early hours of Friday. Police suspect the family’s Nepal‑native domestic help orchestrated the crime with two associates, all of whom are absconding.
Tanuja was killed around 2 am. Her body was found on the first floor of the multi‑storey building. Ray was out of station, while their children were on the upper floor, police said.
Director‑General of police C.V. Anand, senior officials Mahesh Bhagwat, Swati Lakra, Charu Sinha and Hyderabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar visited the spot, met the grieving family and inspected the crime scene.
Commissioner Sajjanar told the media that preliminary clues pointed to the involvement of the domestic help. “She gave access to others who entered the house to rob it. They tied and gagged her, which appears to be their modus operandi, but unfortunately Tanuja died due to suffocation. The accused escaped from the park area adjoining the house,” he said. Ten special teams have been formed to trace the suspects.
Sources said there were two domestic helps in the house, one a Nepal native identified as Kalpana and the other a Telugu native. The role of the latter is yet to be ascertained. Police are assessing the value of stolen property and verifying if Kalpana was an assumed name.
The murder inside a high‑profile locality has triggered serious concern within the police department, particularly as the accused remain at large despite the deployment of ten teams. The incident has highlighted loopholes in tenant and domestic worker verification, especially involving interstate and Nepal‑native workers employed through informal references.
Investigators are analysing CCTV footage, technical clues, travel patterns and background details of the accused. One team has left for Lucknow and is expected to proceed towards the Nepal border, suspecting the accused may attempt to flee the country. Officials said Nepal‑based gangs are known to use diversion tactics to evade arrest, making the operation more challenging. Sajjanar assured that the case would be pursued with utmost seriousness.
House location aided escape of miscreants
The geographical setting of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray’s residence is believed to have played a crucial role in the execution of the offence and the escape of the accused. The house is situated adjacent to a GHMC park at a dead end, with the rear side of the park directly abutting the compound wall.
Police said the uneven, rocky terrain resembling a hillock provided easy physical access to the wall. The accused are suspected to have entered quietly through this stretch after being allowed inside by the domestic help, and later escaped the same way.
Sources said the prime accused, identified as Kalpana, allegedly planned the robbery after learning she was likely to be removed from work. Tanuja Ranjan had recently expressed dissatisfaction with her performance and was considering replacing her.
A former domestic help who worked in the household before Kalpana joined told Deccan Chronicle that Kalpana came to Hyderabad through her contacts after losing employment in Pune. “My relatives knew her and through them she learnt she could get work here. She stayed at my home for a month after arriving and I even fed her. I never imagined she had such intentions,” the source said.
The former help alleged that Kalpana’s behaviour had recently changed and that Tanuja had asked her to return to work. She added that Kalpana may have offered to continue for lesser pay to retain the job after the family decided they could manage with only one worker following the death of Ray’s mother.
