The victim had earlier lodged a complaint against the accused, and a case under Section 498-A of the IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act was registered.
Published Aug 24, 2025 | 10:18 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 25, 2025 | 10:40 AM
Murder. (Representative image)
Hyderabad police have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly murdering his 21-year-old wife, chopping her body into pieces with an axe blade, and disposing of the remains in the Musi River at Prathapsingaram village in Telangana’s Medchal-Malkajgiri district.
The accused, identified as Samala Mahender Reddy, son of Somi Reddy and a Rapido rider by profession, is a resident of East Balaji Hills, Boduppal, and a native of Vikarabad district.
In a press statement, police said Reddy bought a grip axe blade in advance, according to police. On 23 August 2025 at about 4.30 pm, he allegedly throttled his wife to death at home.
To destroy evidence, he then chopped the body into pieces. The head, hands and legs were dumped in the Musi River at Prathapsingaram, while the torso was concealed in the couple’s rented house.
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Police said Mahender Reddy married B Swathi, a neighbour from his village, through a love-cum-arranged marriage at Arya Samaj, Kukatpally, on 20 January 2024.
The couple initially lived happily after moving to Hyderabad, but soon frequent quarrels began over family disputes, according to police.
On 22 April 2024, Swathi lodged a complaint at the Vikarabad women’s police station, and a case under Section 498-A of the IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act was registered.
Later, following interventions by village elders through panchayats, the issue was compromised and the couple shifted to a rented house in Boduppal.
Swathi worked at a call centre in Punjagutta for about three months but was allegedly forced to quit after her husband grew suspicious of her movements. By March 2025, she was five months pregnant. Despite this, arguments between the couple persisted.
Police said tensions escalated on 22 August 2025, when Swathi told her husband that she would travel to Vikarabad on 27 August for medical check-ups and then remain at her parents’ house. An altercation ensued during which Mahender Reddy allegedly decided to kill her.
The police team led by Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda, G Sudheer Babu, IPS, with the direct supervision of DCP Malkajgiri Zone, PV Padmaja, IPS, and ACP Malkajgiri Division, S Chakrapani, carried out the investigation.
