Sunanda, 55, the wife of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, was discovered murdered in their Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad. Her body was found on the first floor of their three-story house in Prashasan Nagar colony. Authorities suspect the involvement of the family’s newly hired domestic help, Kalpana from Nepal, and her accomplices in the crime.
The police believe that Kalpana, along with her associates, smothered Sunanda to death and fled with valuables and cash from the house. The murder is thought to have occurred around 2 a.m. Special teams have been formed to apprehend the domestic help and her two associates, also believed to be from Nepal.
Ray, a former IPS officer who served as Director General of Police in Andhra Pradesh, was away from the city when the incident took place. Sunanda was alone in their part of the house, with their children on the upper floors. The domestic help allegedly facilitated the entry of her associates, who tied the victim’s hands and suffocated her by placing a bundle of notes in her mouth.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar confirmed that the victim died due to suffocation. A forensic team gathered evidence from the crime scene, and an investigation has been initiated by Jubilee Hills police. Director General of Police C. V. Anand and other senior officials also visited the scene.
Sajjanar mentioned that initial investigations suggest the involvement of a Nepali gang in the murder for financial gain. The incident has unsettled Prashasan Nagar, a locality where many IPS and IAS officers reside. The Police Commissioner advised caution when hiring Nepali domestic help, citing similar crimes involving Nepali gangs in cities like Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru.
Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender visited the ex-IPS officer’s residence to offer condolences and expressed confidence in the police’s swift arrest of the suspects.
