Swathi and Mahender Reddy
Hyderabad: The National Commission for Women (NCW), on Tuesday, August 26, took suo motu cognisance of the gruesome murder of a Hyderabad-based pregnant woman, whose body was chopped into pieces by her husband and thrown into the Musi River.
It has directed the Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) to submit a detailed action report to the Commission within three days.
Swathi, a resident in the Boduppal area of Medipally, was strangulated by Mahender on August 23 after the couple had an argument. As she lay unconscious, he chopped her into pieces using an axe and then dumped her body parts into the Musi River.
He made three trips to the river.
The following day, on Sunday, Mahender and Swathi’s uncle went to lodge a missing persons’ complaint. However, during questioning, police found inconsistencies in his answers, leading to his confession and subsequent arrest.
Forensic experts and the clues team found her torso, sans legs, arms and head, from the house.
The couple, who had a love marriage in 2024, belonged to different caste communities. Soon after, they shifted to the Boduppal area in Hyderabad. While Mahender worked as a driver with a ride-sharing app, Swati was a call centre employee.
Swati had previously filed a police complaint against her husband, alleging harassment and cruelty. She had also suffered a miscarriage.
This post was last modified on August 26, 2025 6:05 pm