Hyderabad man stabs pregnant ex-wife to death, smashes head with flower pot

A woman was murdered by her ex-husband in Hyderabad, allegedly due to resentment over a past domestic violence case filed against him.

A 29-year-old software professional was allegedly stabbed to death by her former husband inside her home in Hyderabad on Wednesday, police said.

The crime unfolded in the victim's home in Hyderabad, while her mother-in-law was present. (AFP File Photo)

According to investigators, the woman was attacked after the accused forcefully entered her residence. He reportedly locked her inside a room and stabbed her repeatedly in the head, killing her on the spot. He also reportedly struck her on the head with a flower pot, killing her on the spot, according to India Today.

The woman’s current husband told police that she was three months pregnant at the time of her death, though officials said this claim will be confirmed only after the post-mortem examination, reported news agency PTI.

Police said the victim’s mother-in-law was present in the verandah when the incident took place.

After the attack, the accused allegedly poured petrol inside the room and locked himself in the washroom, threatening to set the house on fire using a lighter he had brought with him. Following negotiations by police personnel, he eventually surrendered and was taken into custody, said the report.

The couple had married in 2022 and obtained a mutual divorce in 2024. The woman remarried in April 2025, police said.

Preliminary findings indicate that the accused harboured resentment toward his former wife after she filed a domestic violence case against him.

Police said the accused had moved to Canada after the marriage and the woman later joined him there. However, differences arose within days, prompting her return to India, after which she lodged a domestic violence complaint in Maharashtra, the report stated.

The accused returned to India in March 2025 following his mother’s death. Due to the pending case, a Look-Out Circular was issued against him and his passport was suspended, preventing him from returning to Canada.

Police said the man, who was unemployed and living in his native Peddapalli district, blamed the legal case and personal setbacks for his mental distress. He allegedly believed his mother’s death was linked to the stress caused by the dispute with his former wife, the report noted.

Driven by anger, police said he tracked the woman’s address through her social media accounts, moved to Hyderabad two months ago, and stayed in a hostel while planning the crime.

Officials said he conducted surveillance of the apartment before the attack and arrived on Wednesday carrying a bag containing knives, a drilling machine, and a five-litre can of petrol.

CCTV footage aired by local television channels showed the accused walking through the apartment corridor with a bag shortly before the incident, the report further stated.

Police said further investigation is underway.

(With inputs from PTI)