Nepali gang arrested for murder of retired IPS officer’s wife in Hyderabad
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More than five months after Tanuja Ranjan, wife of retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ray Vinay Ranjan, was brutally murdered at their residence in Hyderabad, police on Monday arrested four Nepalese. Those arrested include the domestic worker, Dharma Tiruwa alias Kalpana, who had worked at the victim’s residence.
The arrests were made following a five-month-long investigation spanning several states and the India-Nepal border. Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar announced the arrests at a press conference. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing rising property offences committed by Nepali gangs across the three Police Commissionerates, arrested four accused near Nampally Railway Station on Monday (October 26).
Dharma alias Kalpana, 26, is from Surkhet district in Nepal. Ganesh B.K. alias Ganesh Bishwakarma alias Dinesh Thapa, 31, is a labourer who was residing in Pune; Chandra Bahadur Tamang alias Ranjeet Thapa alias Shanker Chandra Lama alias Kancha, 44, a cook whose listed Indian address is in Gurugram, Haryana; and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, 37, a watchman who was residing in Pune.
Police said two other accused remained absconding and that teams were continuing efforts to trace them. The police had earlier arrested two other accused in the case. Police said the accused entered the house in Prashasan Nagar on the night of May 7–8, restrained Tanuja Ranjan and smothered her. They allegedly escaped with 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables.
The police investigation revealed that Dharma came to Hyderabad in June 2025 through a relative and began working as a domestic help at the Jubilee Hills residence for a monthly salary of about Rs 20,000. During her employment, she allegedly remained in contact with Bikas, a Nepal national based in Pune, who repeatedly asked about her employer, the household’s assets and the valuables inside the house.
He eventually proposed a robbery in return for a share of the proceeds. In April 2026, Dharma travelled to Pune to visit her ailing father and came into contact with other members of the alleged gang. On May 4, when her employer left for Bengaluru, she allegedly alerted the group. The police account says Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, Shanker Chandra Lama and Sunil Pariyar met at Kalamboli in Raigad district, Maharashtra, on May 4 and travelled to Pune in a hired Maruti Ertiga.
The next day, they met other alleged accomplices, including Ganesh B.K., before setting out for Hyderabad. On the morning of May 7, Ganesh B.K. and Suresh Shahi allegedly met Dharma near her workplace, surveyed the premises and discussed how the group could enter the house. Two groups allegedly carried out the operation. According to police, the gang assembled at Ravindra Bar near the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station area on the evening of May 7.
It allegedly split into two groups under a plan devised by Sujan Shahi, also known as Suresh Shahi. One group, comprising Ganesh B.K., Suresh Shahi and Shanker Lama, was assigned to enter the house and carry out the robbery. The other, comprising Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, Sunil Pariyar and Netra Shahi, allegedly remained near Nampally railway station as a lookout team.
During the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Dharma allegedly opened the door to let the others in. Police said Tanuja woke up during the incident. The attackers allegedly gagged and restrained her, causing her death by suffocation. The group then searched the house, broke open cupboards and took gold jewellery and other valuables.
After leaving through the rear gate, the accused allegedly travelled to Nampally and joined the lookout team. Investigation revealed that the group subsequently travelled towards Kazipet, moved into isolated hilly terrain and divided the stolen property into nine equal shares. Members then split into smaller groups, fled towards Nepal and disposed of the valuables at different locations.
On May 22, Task Force teams arrested Sunil Bahadur Aauji alias Sunil Pariyar and alleged receiver Dilip Bahadur Mijar alias Sonar. Police recovered 26 grams of the stolen property from them. The investigation continued across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Uttarakhand. The SIT also carried out field inquiries near the India-Nepal border, spending more than five months gathering intelligence in remote and hilly areas. Police said local informers helped the team track the suspects’ alleged hideouts, travel routes, employment and contacts.
The arrests were made following a five-month-long investigation spanning several states and the India-Nepal border. Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar announced the arrests at a press conference. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing rising property offences committed by Nepali gangs across the three Police Commissionerates, arrested four accused near Nampally Railway Station on Monday (October 26).
Dharma alias Kalpana, 26, is from Surkhet district in Nepal. Ganesh B.K. alias Ganesh Bishwakarma alias Dinesh Thapa, 31, is a labourer who was residing in Pune; Chandra Bahadur Tamang alias Ranjeet Thapa alias Shanker Chandra Lama alias Kancha, 44, a cook whose listed Indian address is in Gurugram, Haryana; and Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, 37, a watchman who was residing in Pune.
Police said two other accused remained absconding and that teams were continuing efforts to trace them. The police had earlier arrested two other accused in the case. Police said the accused entered the house in Prashasan Nagar on the night of May 7–8, restrained Tanuja Ranjan and smothered her. They allegedly escaped with 225 grams of gold jewellery and other valuables.
The police investigation revealed that Dharma came to Hyderabad in June 2025 through a relative and began working as a domestic help at the Jubilee Hills residence for a monthly salary of about Rs 20,000. During her employment, she allegedly remained in contact with Bikas, a Nepal national based in Pune, who repeatedly asked about her employer, the household’s assets and the valuables inside the house.
He eventually proposed a robbery in return for a share of the proceeds. In April 2026, Dharma travelled to Pune to visit her ailing father and came into contact with other members of the alleged gang. On May 4, when her employer left for Bengaluru, she allegedly alerted the group. The police account says Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, Shanker Chandra Lama and Sunil Pariyar met at Kalamboli in Raigad district, Maharashtra, on May 4 and travelled to Pune in a hired Maruti Ertiga.
The next day, they met other alleged accomplices, including Ganesh B.K., before setting out for Hyderabad. On the morning of May 7, Ganesh B.K. and Suresh Shahi allegedly met Dharma near her workplace, surveyed the premises and discussed how the group could enter the house. Two groups allegedly carried out the operation. According to police, the gang assembled at Ravindra Bar near the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station area on the evening of May 7.
It allegedly split into two groups under a plan devised by Sujan Shahi, also known as Suresh Shahi. One group, comprising Ganesh B.K., Suresh Shahi and Shanker Lama, was assigned to enter the house and carry out the robbery. The other, comprising Ganesh Bahadur Shahi, Sunil Pariyar and Netra Shahi, allegedly remained near Nampally railway station as a lookout team.
During the intervening night of May 7 and 8, Dharma allegedly opened the door to let the others in. Police said Tanuja woke up during the incident. The attackers allegedly gagged and restrained her, causing her death by suffocation. The group then searched the house, broke open cupboards and took gold jewellery and other valuables.
After leaving through the rear gate, the accused allegedly travelled to Nampally and joined the lookout team. Investigation revealed that the group subsequently travelled towards Kazipet, moved into isolated hilly terrain and divided the stolen property into nine equal shares. Members then split into smaller groups, fled towards Nepal and disposed of the valuables at different locations.
On May 22, Task Force teams arrested Sunil Bahadur Aauji alias Sunil Pariyar and alleged receiver Dilip Bahadur Mijar alias Sonar. Police recovered 26 grams of the stolen property from them. The investigation continued across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow and Uttarakhand. The SIT also carried out field inquiries near the India-Nepal border, spending more than five months gathering intelligence in remote and hilly areas. Police said local informers helped the team track the suspects’ alleged hideouts, travel routes, employment and contacts.
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