Deadly Interstate Gangs Target Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Interstate and transnational criminal gangs from states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring Nepal have been actively targeting Hyderabad in high‑profile loots, robberies, dacoities and murders. The case of Vikram Kumar, arrested for the murder of a five-year-old girl at a gated community in Kowkoor, is only the latest such incident.

In the past two years, about seven transnational gangs struck in Hyderabad — murdering a former IPS officer’s wife, sedating and confining victims, and robbing them of over 15.60 crore. In three other armed incidents, two persons were injured in separate robberies and three jewellery shops were looted.

Police sources said Hyderabad is under surveillance by some of the country’s deadliest gangs. These include the Bawaria gang of nomadic tribes from Uttar Pradesh, the Dhar gang from Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, Parathi gangs from Madhya Pradesh, the Pardhi gang from Indapur and Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the Chaddi gang from the Madhya Pradesh–Gujarat border, the Irani gang known for attention diversion, and the Sahu gang from Nepal.

Apart from these, the Jalore–Jodhpur opium syndicate — the Bishnoi racket of Jalore district operated by Savlaram Bishnoi and his brother Gangaram — is also active in Hyderabad and surrounding areas, police disclosed.

Hyderabad city had migrants forming 24–29 per cent of the core population in 2024. By 2026, this figure has risen drastically to over 44 per cent, which police officers described as a matter of serious concern.

“Some offenders from our native places and other states commit crimes due to which our entire state is blamed. People like us from various states who have settled in Hyderabad are only bread earners. We are facing consequences because of these rogues,” said Prakas Tiwar, a settler from a north‑eastern state.

A Special Investigation Team has been formed to track Nepalese gangs. In addition, the task force and Special Operations Teams from all commissionerates have joined with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) to collect profiles, fingerprints and data of notorious gangs operating from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states. The special branch and railway police have also been directed to intensify surveillance.

“It is our duty to protect and ensure the safety and security of citizens. At the same time, citizens must use the HawkEye app to upload valid identity documents and perform complete background checks before hiring domestic helpers, watchmen or drivers,” a senior officer said.

Nepalese syndicate strikes Hyderabad

2025

· April: Six members of a Nepali gang sedated an elderly couple in Kachiguda and fled with 60 lakh and 1 kg of gold.

· November: Five Nepalese confined house owners in Secunderabad and escaped with 23 tolas of gold and 95,000.

2026

· February: Five Nepalese, including a woman, sedated a house watchman and cook, later fleeing with diamonds and gold worth 1.3 crore from a house in Nandagiri Hills, Jubilee Hills.

· March: Nepalese gang broke into a businessman’s house in Jubilee Hills and fled with property worth 2 crore.

· March: Six Nepalese, along with a woman domestic help, murdered retired AP cadre IPS officer’s wife Tanuja Ranjan in Prashasan Nagar, Jubilee Hills.

· May: Seven armed Nepalese confined a doctor couple in Jawahar Nagar, escaping with 60 tolas of gold, 15 kg silver and USD 3,000.

· May: In Jawahar Nagar (Golf Enclave), a newly hired Nepalese couple drugged a doctor couple, tied them up, disabled CCTVs and fled with 60 tolas of gold, silver and cash.

· May: In Jubilee Hills (Prashasan Nagar), domestic worker Kalpana allegedly murdered the 55‑year‑old wife of a retired IPS officer before fleeing with valuables.

· June: Nepalese gang struck at a villa in Gachibowli in the owner’s absence, fleeing with 7.8 kg gold and 1.36 kg silver.

· June: In Jubilee Hills, a massive burglary traced to an interstate Nepalese syndicate saw jewellery and valuables worth 12 crore stolen; gang members were later intercepted in Uttar Pradesh.

Non‑transnational incidents

· January 2025: Armed robbers Santosh Jha and Vikas Jha shot dead an ATM security guard in Shivajinagar, Bidar district, then came to Afzalgunj with 93 lakh looted cash and shot Roshan Travels manager Md Jahangir.

· January 2026: Two armed migrants opened fire at an SBI ATM centre in Koti, injuring a Kerala‑based cloth merchant and looting 6 lakh.