A gruesome incident has come to light from Hyderabad’s Medipally area. A 27-year-old man, Mahender Reddy, allegedly murdered his 21-year-old pregnant wife. The victim was identified as Swathi alias Jyothi, and her dismembered body was discovered by the police. The crime occurred on August 24 around 4:30 PM at the couple’s residence in Balaji Hills, Boduppal. Swathi, who was seven months pregnant, was strangled to death. Her body was then cut into pieces with a hexa blade.

According to reports, after committing the murder, Mahender disposed of the head, arms, and legs. He threw the body parts into the Musi River near Prathapsingaram, while the torso was concealed in his room. The crime came to light after Mahender called his sister claiming Swathi was missing. Suspicious, she alerted a relative who took him to the police station, where he eventually confessed.

The Relationship and Background

Swathi and Mahender hailed from Kamareddyguda in Telangana’s Vikarabad district. The two were neighbours and married in a love-cum-arranged setup in January 2024 at Arya Samaj. After marriage, they moved to Hyderabad and began living in a rented house.

However, marital bliss was short-lived. Within a month, frequent quarrels broke out between them. In April 2024, Swathi filed a domestic violence complaint in Vikarabad, prompting elders to intervene and reach a compromise. Despite this, tensions remained.

Why Did It Happen?

Police say that Mahender was suspicious of Swathi, especially after she took a job at a call centre, which he later forced her to quit. Despite her pregnancy in March 2025, disputes continued. On August 22, Swathi informed Mahender she would visit her parents in Vikarabad for a medical check-up and intended to stay there. This led to another heated argument.

According to the police, Swathi allegedly abused Mahender during the altercation, after which he decided to kill her. He later tried to fabricate a missing case, but his sister’s suspicions led to the truth unraveling.

Investigation and Arrest

Mahender has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. CCTV footage confirmed him leaving the house multiple times with bags suspected to contain body parts. Police recovered the torso and legs from the residence, while other body parts are still missing despite ongoing searches by NDRF and GHMC swimmers.

DCP P.V. Padmaja confirmed that forensic evidence has been collected, and a DNA test will verify the victim’s identity. A case under relevant BNS sections, including murder and destruction of evidence, has been registered.

Similar incidents reported

This incident comes just two weeks after a similar murder in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where a man killed his pregnant wife due to domestic disputes. The frequency of such gender-based violence cases has sparked public outrage, urging stricter monitoring of domestic violence complaints and faster legal redressal.