Top police officers in Telangana have asked people to be ‘cautious’ of hiring Nepali nationals for domestic work, following the shocking murder of a retired IPS officer’s wife in Hyderabad on Friday, May 8.
Tanuja Ranjan (55), wife of former IPS officer Vinay Ranjan, was found dead at their residence in the upscale neighbourhood of Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills, where many former bureaucrats reside. Based on preliminary investigation, the police suspect the involvement of the Ranjans’ domestic worker Kalpana, and possibly a gang of criminals from Nepal.
Reacting to the incident, Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar and Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) CV Anand have both made statements painting the entire community as criminals, and suggested that people should stop employing all Nepalis.
“Everyone must be cautious of hiring Nepalis. They are just looking for opportunities [to commit theft],” Commissioner Sajjanar said, following the incident.
In an X post, DGP CV Anand too suggested that people must completely stop employing Nepali nationals. While some people called for surveillance of Nepali nationals and stricter border control measures, others rejected the harmful stereotyping of the entire community.
Tanuja was suffocated to death, according to Sajjanar. The incident occurred around 2 am on May 8 when her husband, former Andhra Pradesh DGP Vinay Ranjan, was away travelling. Their children were sleeping upstairs and were not aware of what was happening on the first floor, the Commissioner said.
Calling it a murder for gain, Sajjanar said, “Based on preliminary investigation and evidence, we believe this was the work of a Nepali gang who were in contact with a woman working in the house. For nearly two months, we have been cautioning people to beware of Nepali gangs. Nepali workers are committing property offences in Bombay, Bengaluru, and Pune too, especially when residents of the house are away.” He added that they were yet to estimate the number of accused involved and the loss of valuables.
Sajjanar said that he had been receiving calls from people asking what to do about their employees who were from Nepal. “Keep an eye on them, and take safety measures while leaving the house,” he said.
The DGP alleged non-cooperation from the Nepal police when police teams from Telangana tried to apprehend accused persons from there. “It’s time we double check them through the local police or totally stop employing them,” he said.
