Hyderabad: A gruesome crime came to light in Boduppal, where a 28-year-old cab driver brutally murdered his pregnant wife, dismembered her body, and dumped the parts in the Musi River. The incident drew parallels with the Delhi Shraddha Walkar case.
According to Malkajgiri DCP Padmaja, the accused was identified as Samala Mahender Reddy, a native of Komareddyguda in Vikarabad district. He married Swathi, 21, from the same village, in January 2024, through an Arya Samaj ceremony in Kukatpally. The couple moved to Hyderabad for livelihood and stayed in Boduppal. Their inter-caste marriage caused friction between families and led to frequent quarrels.
The dispute led to the murder of Boduppal’s wife murder
Swathi had earlier filed a dowry harassment case against Mahender Reddy at Vikarabad women’s police station four months into marriage. Elders settled the matter, but tensions continued. Swathi became pregnant twice. The first pregnancy was terminated forcibly, reportedly under pressure. In March 2024, she conceived again and was five months pregnant.
On August 22, Swathi told her husband she wanted to visit her parental home after a hospital checkup. The two quarrelled, and Mahender decided to kill her. The next day, he bought hexa blades from a shop in Boduppal. By evening, after another argument, he strangled Swathi to death. He then cut her body into parts, placed the head, hands, and legs in a sack, and threw them into the Musi River near Pratapsingaram. He left the torso at home.
Later, Mahender approached the Medipally police, claiming his wife was missing. Suspicious officers searched his residence and discovered the torso inside. Upon questioning, Mahender confessed.
Police teams conducted searches along the Musi River but could not trace the missing body parts due to heavy water flow. The torso was sent for postmortem, and Mahender was arrested.
Locals alleged that Mahender’s family members encouraged disputes due to the inter-caste marriage and may have influenced his actions. Police are investigating that angle.
