Jubilee Hills murder case: Police suspect prime accused & two aides fled to Nepal

Hyderabad: Nearly two weeks after the murder of Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, investigators suspect that the prime accused, Kalpana and her two associates may have fled to Nepal.Tanuja Ranjan was murdered at the couple’s bungalow in Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, on May 8. According to investigators, the accused boarded a train from Nampally railway station soon after the crime and travelled to Kazipet. From there, they split into two groups, with one heading to Mumbai and the other to Bhopal. Police later tracked their movements to Uttar Pradesh and now believe they may have crossed into Nepal.“Based on information gathered through sources, there is a strong possibility that the accused escaped into Nepal through a porous border,” officials said.Police said three persons were directly involved in the murder-for-gain case, while four others allegedly assisted them and are currently absconding. One suspect, P Sunil, an associate of Kalpana, has been nabbed.Investigators also questioned Kalpana’s elderly mother, who is reportedly residing in Maharashtra, but officials said the interaction did not yield significant leads. Police noted that the accused avoided using mobile phones throughout their escape.

According to investigators, Kalpana had been working as a maid in Tanuja Ranjan’s household. Police allege that she conspired to kill her employer and facilitated the entry of two accomplices into the house on the day of the murder. Tanuja was later killed inside the residence.Meanwhile, Hyderabad police have begun issuing notices to residents in upscale localities such as Jubilee Hills and Film Nagar, asking them to provide details of Nepali domestic workers employed in their homes.“It has come to the notice of Hyderabad police that certain offenders, particularly some Nepali nationals employed as domestic workers and caretakers, are exploiting the trust and sympathy of residents to gain access to houses and later commit property offences. Recently, three such cases, including a murder-for-gain case, were registered in Jubilee Hills,” the police said in an awareness notice regarding engagement of domestic workers.