HYDERABAD: A three-month pregnant woman was brutally hacked to death inside her apartment in Vanasthalipuram on Wednesday, allegedly by her former husband who was reportedly angered by her remarriage.
The victim, 29-year-old Sunitha, and the accused, Devarakonda Mahesh, were software professionals who had briefly lived in Canada before divorcing in 2024. Sunitha had earlier filed a domestic violence complaint against Mahesh, prompting authorities to issue a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him.
According to Vanasthalipuram police, Mahesh forced his way into Sunitha’s fourth-floor flat in Green City Colony around noon. He reportedly went directly to the room where she was working, locked it from the inside, and confronted her. Police said he had brought along a bag containing two knives, a bottle of petrol, and a chainsaw.
“A heated argument broke out between them. Within minutes, Mahesh attacked Sunitha with the knives, stabbing her repeatedly on various parts of her body, including her head,” said T Mahesh, inspector of Vanasthalipuram police station.
At the time of the incident, Sunitha was working from home. Her mother-in-law was on the terrace drying clothes, while her brother-in-law was in another room of the apartment.
Family members told investigators that Sunitha and Mahesh married in 2022 and later moved to Canada, but their relationship was troubled from the start. In 2024, Sunitha filed for divorce and returned to India. Earlier this year, she remarried and began living in Vanasthalipuram.
B Anuradha, Deputy Commissioner of Police (LB Nagar), said Mahesh had returned to India last year following his mother’s death. He was stopped at the airport because of the LOC issued in connection with the domestic violence case filed by Sunitha, and his passport was seized.
“Unable to travel back to Canada due to the LOC, he was deeply frustrated. He also harboured resentment over Sunitha’s remarriage and allegedly planned the attack as an act of revenge,” the DCP said.
Police said they had to break open a bathroom door to apprehend the accused after the assault. A case of murder has been registered against Mahesh, and further investigation is underway.
