Two held in Nagpur; Hunt on for Jubilee Hills Murder Suspects

Hyderabad: Special teams probing the murder of Tanuja Ray, wife of former AP DGP Vinay Ranjan Ray, reportedly detained two suspects in Nagpur late on Sunday night. Officials withheld the identities of the two, saying disclosure could alert the remaining accused and alter their escape strategy. The hunt continues for prime accused Kalpana and others suspected to be heading towards Nepal.

Police said the six‑member group involved in the crime had boarded the Telangana Express towards New Delhi, but split up before Nagpur to evade CCTV surveillance. Acting on instructions, a team deployed in Maharashtra tracked and detained two suspects, while alerts were simultaneously sent to 11 other squads spread across the Indo‑Nepal border, Lucknow, Kolkata, some locations in West Bengal and other states. A common WhatsApp group was formed to share real‑time updates and photographs of the suspects.

Investigators said Kalpana, who had worked as a domestic help in the victim’s household for nearly a year, is a crucial link in the case. Acting under the directions of an unidentified conspirator, she allegedly facilitated the robbery and murder, coordinating with associates to execute a pre‑planned escape once Ray left for Bangalore for treatment on May 1.

Technical teams have analysed footage from over 220 CCTV cameras in Jubilee Hills and Nampally railway station, and collected call records to trace Kalpana and her associates. Sources said the suspects used “dabba” phones — ordinary handsets with deleted IMEI numbers — and frequently changed SIM cards to avoid detection. Several Nepali women whose numbers appeared in Kalpana’s call data have been detained for questioning.

Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar is directly monitoring the probe, with 12 special teams including task force, CCS, IT and SB units deployed. Security has been tightened at residences of senior IAS and IPS officers in the twin cities.