Telangana: Police arrest husband, sister-in-law and friend for nurse's alleged murder

Hyderabad (Telangana)[India], March 6 (ANI): The Hyderabad police have arrested three individuals, including the husband and sister-in-law of a deceased nurse, in connection with her alleged murder in Malakpet. The accused reportedly smothered the victim after administering a sedative and later attempted to mislead authorities by claiming she had suffered a heart attack, according to the statement.
The case pertains to the death of Mugala Shireesha (34), a nursing supervisor at Vivera Hospital, Hayathnagar. On Sunday, police received a complaint from Lade Madhukar, the victim's uncle, alleging that she had died under suspicious circumstances at her residence in Jamuna Towers, Malakpet.
Following an autopsy at Osmania General Hospital, doctors confirmed that the cause of death was smothering, prompting police to alter the case section and apprehend the accused.
Those arrested include Thummalapally Saritha (35), a manager at Vivera Hospital and the victim's sister-in-law; Singa Vinay Kumar (34), the victim's husband; and K. Nihal Kumar alias Bittu (22), a student. The trio has been charged under Sections 103, 238, and 249 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Investigations revealed that Saritha and Shireesha had known each other since 2016 when they worked together at Sunrise Hospital. Saritha reportedly arranged Shireesha's marriage to Vinay Kumar. In November 2024, Shireesha joined Vivera Hospital, where Saritha was working as an administrative manager. However, she resigned on February 28, 2025, leading to tensions between the two, said the statement.
According to police, on the night of March 1, Saritha confronted Shireesha over her resignation, leading to a heated argument. In a fit of rage, Saritha allegedly injected Shireesha with a high dose of Midazolam through an IV cannula previously used for a paracetamol injection. Once Shireesha lost consciousness, she was smothered with a pillow. The next morning, Saritha informed Vinay Kumar and Nihal Kumar, who allegedly conspired to cover up the crime. They called an ambulance and falsely claimed Shireesha had suffered a heart attack. The body was initially taken to Metro Cure Hospital before the accused planned to transport it to their native village in Domalapenta, Nagarkurnool district.
However, police intercepted the plan after tracing the ambulance driver's phone number. The body was brought to Osmania General Hospital for further investigation. Based on evidence, additional charges were added against Vinay Kumar and Nihal Kumar for tampering with evidence and attempting to conceal the crime.
The arrests were made under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East Zone) Patil Kantilal Subhash, IPS, along with Addl. DCP T. Swami, ACP Malakpet Division G. Shyam Sunder, Inspector M. Raju, Detective Inspector Bhoopal Goud, and SI D. Ravi Raj. (ANI)