Man kills 5-month pregnant wife, chops body with axe for disposal, retains torso at home

The police have arrested a 27-year-old man in Telangana's Medchal-Malkajgiri district for murdering his pregnant wife, chopping her body into pieces and throwing them into the Musi river at Prathapsingarm.

The arrest was made on Monday.

The accused was identified as Samala Mahender Reddy, who works as a bike taxi rider. He resides at East Balaji Hills in Boduppal and is originally from Vikarabad.

He married B Swathi, 21, a neighbour from the same village, on January 20, 2024, at Arya Samaj in Kukatpally and the duo shifted to Hyderabad and lived in Boduppal after marriage, said DCP Malkajgiri, PV Padmaja.

"Yesterday, we arrested an accused named Mahendra Reddy, who killed his wife in a domestic violence case. The couple got married in January 2024 against the wishes of their parents and later faced domestic problems," the official said.

"After a miscarriage, she became pregnant again. Due to some quarrel, Reddy strangulated her and when she fell unconscious, used an axe blade to commit further cruelty. A case was registered under Sections 103, clause 1, and 238 of the BNS, equivalent to old IPC 302 and 201."

On April 22, last year, his wife had lodged a complaint at WPS Vikarabad, and a case under Section 498-A IPC and Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act was registered. Subsequently, village elders held panchayats, and the matter was compromised.

From June 2024 onwards, the couple started residing in a rented house at Boduppal.

The woman for three months at a call centre in Punjagutta. However, Mahender stopped her from continuing her job as he was suspicious of her movements.  "In March 2025, the woman conceived and was now five months pregnant. Even then, frequent quarrels continued between them. On August 22, the woman informed the accused that she would go to Vikarabad on August 24 for a medical check-up and thereafter stay at her parents' house. The accused did not agree and a quarrel ensued. The deceased abused him, and on the same day, the accused decided to eliminate her," the police said the accused purchased an axe in Boduppal and kept it in the house. On August 23, around 4:30 pm, he allegedly murdered his wife by throttling her. Thereafter, in order to conceal the evidence, he chopped the body into pieces and disposed of the head, hands, and legs into the Musi river at Prathapsingaram, and retained the headless and legless trunk in his room, the police said.