Pregnant Woman Brutally Murdered in Hyderabad Home by Ex-Husband
A horrific crime has shaken Hyderabad, where a three-month pregnant woman, identified as Sunitha (29), was brutally hacked to death inside her Vanasthalipuram residence on Wednesday. The assailant was her ex-husband, Devarakonda Mahesh, who meticulously planned the attack after tracking her residential address through social media platforms.
Premeditated Attack with Deadly Weapons
According to police reports, Mahesh arrived at Sunitha's fourth-floor apartment in Green City Colony armed with a chilling arsenal: two sharp knives, a chainsaw, and a bottle of petrol. He barged into the home around noon, went directly to her room, and locked the door from inside to prevent any intervention.
"He developed a grudge against her and decided to eliminate her," explained police officials. "He managed to locate her residential address through her social media account and came to Hyderabad two months ago, staying in a hostel. He also 'recceed' the victim's apartment recently."
Violent Assault and Subsequent Threats
Inspector T Mahesh of Vanasthalipuram police detailed the horrific sequence: "Mahesh got into a heated argument with her and, within minutes, attacked Sunitha with the knives. He stabbed her multiple times on various parts of her body, including her head."
Hearing Sunitha's desperate screams, other family members rushed to the room only to find her lying in a pool of blood. By that time, the accused had locked himself in the washroom. Sunitha had been working from home at the time of the attack, while her mother-in-law was on the terrace drying clothes and her brother-in-law was in another room.
When police arrived at the scene after being alerted by family and neighbors, they discovered Mahesh had poured petrol throughout the room and was threatening to ignite it with a lighter. After extensive negotiations with police officials, he eventually emerged from the washroom and was taken into custody.
Troubled History and Motive for Revenge
The couple's relationship had been strained from the beginning. Both software professionals who had briefly lived in Canada, Sunitha and Mahesh married in 2022 but divorced in 2024. Sunitha had previously filed a domestic violence complaint against Mahesh, leading authorities to issue a Look Out Circular (LOC) against him.
DCP B Anuradha of L B Nagar explained the escalating resentment: "Last year, Mahesh returned to India after his mother passed away. He was intercepted by police at the airport as a LOC had been issued in his name in connection with a pending domestic violence case filed by Sunitha. His passport was seized."
Police revealed that Mahesh held multiple grudges against his ex-wife. He blamed Sunitha for his mother's death and resented her for remarrying in early 2025 and starting a new life in Vanasthalipuram. His inability to return to Canada due to the LOC further fueled his anger and desire for revenge.
Ongoing Investigation and Legal Proceedings
A murder case has been formally registered against Devarakonda Mahesh, and the investigation remains active as authorities piece together the complete timeline of events. The case highlights several critical issues:
- The dangerous potential of social media for tracking and stalking victims
- The escalation of domestic disputes into extreme violence
- The challenges in protecting victims from determined perpetrators
- The psychological factors driving such premeditated attacks
This tragic incident serves as a grim reminder of the persistent threat of domestic violence and the lengths to which some individuals will go to exact revenge. The Hyderabad police continue their investigation while the community mourns the loss of a young woman and her unborn child.
