Prime accused in ex-IPS officer’s wife’s murder flees to Nepal

Hyderabad: Kalpana, the prime accused in the murder of Tanuja Ranja Ray, wife of a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has reportedly fled to Nepal along with several accomplices, police said.

Kalpana, who worked as a domestic helper at the victim’s residence in Jubilee Hills, allegedly murdered Tanuja on May 8 during a robbery and decamped with valuables from the house.

According to the investigation, Kalpana and her associates, Suresh and Ganesh, hired an autorickshaw after the crime and travelled to Nampally Railway Station, where two other accomplices joined them.

The group then boarded the Telangana Express using general tickets. However, they got off the train at Cherlapally and later travelled to the outskirts of the city in a car as part of their escape plan.

Police said the accused deliberately avoided using mobile phones while fleeing, making it difficult for investigators to track their movements. As a result, the investigation largely depended on human intelligence inputs.

So far, police have arrested Sunil Periyal and Dilip, who are accused of receiving the stolen gold. However, Kalpana, Ganesh, Suresh and other members of the gang are believed to have crossed into Nepal and remain at large.

Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining accused.

Two arrested for murder

The Hyderabad police arrested Periyal and Dilip on May 22. Speaking to Siasat.com, Jubilee Hills Station House Officer (SHO) U Srinivasulu Reddy said that Sunil was one of the people involved in the robbery at the couple’s residence in Prashasan Nagar on the night of May 8.

He had gone to Mumbai to sell his share of the stolen property to Dileep, a third-party receiver. Two gold bangles have been recovered from them. The SHO added that these are the only two people who have been arrested in relation to the case so far.

Apart from them and the main accused, Kalpana, the police are yet to make a final list of all those involved, the SHO said. The total amount of property stolen has also not been determined, he added.