Hyderabad: A high-profile murder and robbery has rocked the elite Jubilee Hills neighbourhood after the wife of a retired senior police officer was found dead at her residence in the early hours of Friday.

Tanuja Ranjan, the wife of retired IPS officer Vinay Ranjan Ray, was allegedly suffocated to death by a domestic worker and two accomplices. The incident occurred at the IPS officers' residential quarters while Ray was away on travel.

According to authorities, the couple's children were present in the house at the time but were staying on the upper floor and were unharmed.

The break-in and assualt

Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, who visited the scene alongside Telangana DGP CV Anand, confirmed that the crime took place at approximately 2 am.

The primary suspect has been identified as Kalpana, a domestic worker of Nepalese origin who had been employed by the family for a year to care for Ray's elderly mother. It is alleged that Kalpana conspired with two associates to gain entry to the ground floor where Tanuja Ranjan was sleeping.

"The assailants bound the victim's hands and gagged her with a cloth to prevent her from raising the alarm," Commissioner Sajjanar told reporters. "Tragically, the victim died of suffocation during the ordeal."

Investigation underway

Following the murder, the suspects ransacked the home, fleeing with an undisclosed quantity of gold jewellery, cash, and other valuables. While the exact value of the haul is still being calculated, forensic teams have spent the day gathering clues from the residence.

Social media footage from the area showed a heavy police presence as investigators cordoned off the official quarters. Commissioner Sajjanar expressed confidence that the culprits would be apprehended shortly, noting that several police teams are currently tracking the suspects' movements.