A domestic help tipped off a Nepal-based gang about the household routine of a retired IPS officer’s family, helping its members plan a robbery that ended in the murder of his wife in Telangana’s Hyderabad in May. Police have now arrested four more accused in the case after a five-month investigation, uncovering how the gang allegedly conducted reconnaissance, divided roles and fled with the stolen valuables.The victim, Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired IPS officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, was found murdered at her residence in Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, during the night of May 7-8.

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.Hyderabad Police arrested four alleged gang members near Nampally Railway Station on October 26.

The arrests followed an investigation spanning several states and involving searches across multiple cities and along the India-Nepal border.HOW THE GANG PLANNED THE MURDERAccording to the police investigation, the domestic help, Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, allegedly played a key role in facilitating the crime by sharing information about the household with the gang. Tiruwa, 26, a native of Nepal’s Surkhet, had moved to Hyderabad in June 2025 and was earning around Rs 20,000 a month.

Investigators found that she was allegedly in contact with a Nepalese national in Pune.The plan reportedly took shape after Tanuja Ranjan’s employer and family member left for Bengaluru on May 4. Tiruwa allegedly alerted the gang about the household situation, providing an opportunity to target the residence.

On May 7, two gang members allegedly met Tiruwa and conducted reconnaissance of the house. The gang then assembled near the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) before splitting into two groups.

One group allegedly entered the house to carry out the robbery, while the other remained on watch.During the crime, Tanuja Ranjan was tied up and a cloth was stuffed into her mouth. She died of suffocation.

The accused allegedly escaped through the rear gate with the stolen valuables.After fleeing the house, the gang members regrouped near Nampally before travelling towards Kazipet. The stolen property was allegedly divided into nine shares, after which the accused split into smaller groups and fled to Nepal.

Police said the valuables were subsequently disposed of in Nepal.FOUR MORE ACCUSED ARRESTEDThe four people arrested on October 26 were identified as:Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, 26: The domestic help who allegedly supplied information about the household and facilitated the crime.Ganesh B K alias Ganesh Bishwakarma, 31: A labourer listed as being from Pune.Chandra Bahadur Tamang alias Shanker Chandra Lama, 44: A cook listed as being from Gurugram.Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, 37: A watchman listed as being from Pune.Police seized Rs 51,130 in cash and other material allegedly linked to the crime.The case was registered at Jubilee Hills Police Station. The arrests came after a special investigation team (SIT) was formed on May 19 to trace the accused and recover the stolen property.TWO ACCUSED WERE ARRESTED IN MAYThe latest arrests follow the apprehension of two other accused on May 22.

They were identified as Sunil Bahadur Aauji alias Sunil Pariyar, described by police as the prime accused, and Dilip Bahadur Mijar alias Sonar, an alleged receiver of stolen property. Police recovered 26 grams of stolen property during that operation.The SIT carried out searches across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Uttarakhand, apart from operations near the India-Nepal border.Investigators also found that the gang had allegedly planned similar crimes in Bengaluru and Delhi, using domestic workers to obtain information about households.

Police said Chandra Bahadur Tamang was linked to earlier cases in Jaipur and Delhi, while Ganesh Bahadur Shahi was linked to a property offence in Bengaluru.In a parallel development, police executed five pending non-bailable warrants against other absconding Nepalese nationals. One of those apprehended, Jeevan Chand alias Jiban, was described as a habitual property offender linked to eight cases across Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.POLICE WARN RESIDENTS AGAINST SECURITY LAPSESHyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar urged residents to verify the identities of domestic workers and other household staff, conduct police verification where applicable, and maintain employment and residence records.

Residents were also advised to check references with former employers and landlords.Police cautioned people against sharing details about gold, cash, locker keys, travel plans or daily routines with others. Apartment complexes were advised to strengthen visitor records, access controls and CCTV surveillance.Residents can report suspicious activity by calling 100 or 112, contacting Hyderabad City Police on WhatsApp at 94906 16555, or approaching the nearest police station.The operation was conducted under the supervision of DCP Task Force Vaibhav Raghunath Gaikwad and DCP Jubilee Hills A Ramana Reddy.

The SIT was led by Inspector G S Daniel Shanti Kumar and Jubilee Hills Inspector D Ashok.- Ends