Hyderabad, 24 Aug

A five-month pregnant woman was brutally murdered allegedly by her husband, who then chopped her body parts at their house in Medipally near here, and threw the pieces in the Musi river, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred at about 4.30 pm on Saturday when the 27-year-old accused, who works as a driver with a ride hailing company, murdered his 21-year-old wife by strangling her over frequent quarrels due to family disputes.

In order to conceal the evidence, he chopped the body into pieces using a hexa-blade, disposed of the head, hands, and legs by throwing them into the Musi river at Prathapsingaram, and retained the headless trunk in his room, DCP (Malkajgiri Zone) PV Padmaja told reporters.

The accused then packed the body parts separately in small plastic covers and went to the river three times to throw the pieces, the DCP said.

Later, the accused called his sister and claimed that his wife was missing, who grew suspicious and and informed a relative. That person eventually took the accused to the police station. He again tried to portray the murder as a missing incident, but during questioning he confessed to killing his wife, Padmaja said.

Based on his confession, a case under relevant BNS sections on charges of murder and causing disappearance of evidence of offence was registered and the accused was taken into custody, she said.

The dismembered body was found in the house and sent for post-mortem, she said, adding "We have to ascertain the deceased (is wife of the accused) and a DNA test will be conducted".

Asked if the chopped body parts were recovered, the police official said personnel of NDRF besides swimmers of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), took up searches, but so far they did not find the body parts.

The accused and the victim, both natives of Vikarabad district, were neighbours who fell in love and got married in January 2024 at Arya Samaj here, police said.

After marriage, they moved to Hyderabad and resided in a rented house at Boduppal. They lived happily for about one month, after when frequent quarrels arose between them due to family disputes. In April 2024, the woman lodged a complaint with police in Vikarabad, accusing her husband of domestic violence and a case was registered.

Subsequently, village elders held conciliatory talks, and a compromise was arrived at.

The deceased worked for three months at a Call Centre in Punjagutta in the city. However, due to suspicion over her movements, the accused stopped her from continuing her job.

In March 2025, she conceived. Even then, frequent quarrels continued between them, police said.

On August 22, the woman told the accused that she would go to Vikarabad for medical check-up and thereafter stay at her parents’ house. The accused did not agree and a quarrel ensued. The investigation is ongoing, police added.