In a shocking incident in Hyderabad, a 27-year-old man identified as Samala Mahender Reddy has been arrested for allegedly murdering his five-month pregnant wife, B. Swathi, 21. The gruesome crime involved dismembering her body and disposing of the parts in the Musi river.
According to police reports, Mahender Reddy, who works as a bike taxi rider, and Swathi, who was originally from Vikarabad, married on January 20, 2024. After their marriage, the couple resided in Boduppal, Hyderabad. However, their relationship soon turned sour, with frequent quarrels erupting between them.
The situation escalated when Swathi informed Mahender that she planned to visit her parents' house in Vikarabad for a medical check-up on August 27 and stay there. This led to a heated argument, and Mahender decided to kill her.
On August 23, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Mahender allegedly strangled Swathi to death at their residence. To conceal the crime, he purchased an axe and a hexa blade and dismembered her body, throwing parts of it into the Musi river at Prathapsingaram. He retained the torso at their home.
After allegedly murdering Swathi, Mahender informed his relatives about the crime late Saturday night. Locals reported that police arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. on Sunday and were seen recovering packets. Some of Swathi's body parts were recovered from the house, while others were retrieved from the Musi River.
Prior to her death, Swathi worked at a call center in Punjagutta for three months, but Mahender stopped her from working due to suspicions about her movements. The couple's troubled relationship had a history of disputes, including a prior domestic violence case. In April of the previous year, Swathi filed a complaint with the Vikarabad Women's Police station, resulting in a case under Section 498-A of the IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Although village elders intervened and the matter was initially resolved, the underlying issues persisted.
The Medipally police have arrested Mahender Reddy, and he has been remanded to judicial custody. Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive behind the murder and gathering more information about the couple's relationship.
