Hyderabad man arrested for gruesome murder of pregnant wife

A 27-year-old ride-hailing driver in Hyderabad has been arrested after confessing to the brutal murder of his 25-year-old pregnant wife, dismembering her body, and disposing of the remains in the city’s Musa River, police reported on Sunday.

The horrific crime has sent shockwaves through the community and sparked renewed outrage over domestic violence and women’s safety in India.

Mahender Reddy, the accused, was taken into custody after his wife’s family grew suspicious when he claimed she had gone missing. The couple, married for a year and a half, had been experiencing frequent domestic disputes, according to local authorities.

The incident occurred last Saturday evening at the couple’s residence in Boduppal, where Reddy allegedly attacked his wife, Swathi, with an axe before dismembering her body.

Later that night, he made three separate trips to dispose of her head, torso, and limbs, which he had packed into plastic bags.

Security camera footage from the area showed Reddy carrying a backpack and bags containing his wife’s remains, walking calmly through crowded streets filled with women and children.

After the murder, Mahender contacted Swathi’s sister and falsely reported that Swathi was missing.

Aware of the ongoing tensions in the marriage, the sister-in-law immediately asked their uncle, who lives in Dilshuknagar, to check on the situation. When Govardhan arrived, Reddy continued to insist that Swathi had left home and not returned.

Suspicious, the uncle took Reddy to the Medipally police station to file a report.

Officers at the station noted inconsistencies in Reddy’s statements during questioning. After further interrogation, he eventually broke down and confessed to killing and dismembering his wife.

Forensic teams and investigators examined the crime scene on Sunday but were only able to recover the victim’s torso, which has been sent for DNA analysis. 

The National Disaster Response Force has been assisting local police in searching the Musi River for additional body parts.

It was also revealed that Swathi had previously filed a police complaint against Reddy for domestic abuse but later withdrew it after mediation.

The case has once again raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of domestic violence prevention mechanisms and the protection of women’s rights in India.