Hyderabad Hotel Murders: 3 Women Dead in Under 2 Weeks as Police Press Hotels on ID Checks

Hyderabad police have asked hotel operators to tighten guest checks after three women were found dead in separate budget hotel rooms between September 21 and October 2. In each case the woman had checked in with a man she knew. One of the three men has been arrested, and as of October 5, the other two were still being traced. 

The Hyderabad hotel murders have focused attention on small hotels that rent rooms at low rates, and on whether they verify the identity of the people who walk in. The Telangana Hotels Association has told its members to be careful and follow the rules. All details below are as stated by police, and none has been tested in court.

Miyapur Hotel Murder

Police found the decomposed body of a 27-year-old postgraduate medical student on October 2 in a hotel in Martanda Nagar, New Hafeezpet, Miyapur. A murder case has been registered.

According to police, she knew a man named Ravi Kumar and the two were in a relationship. He had taken a gold chain from her, and when she asked about it, he asked her to come to Hyderabad and said he would hand it over. She travelled on September 30, and the two checked into the hotel together. Her father then filed a complaint, and police traced her mobile phone to the area.

Miyapur Inspector N Jayaram said CCTV footage and other evidence had been collected and that the accused was being traced. The search for Ravi Kumar of Miyapur is continuing. Media reports differ on how she died, and police have not said publicly, so this report does not name a cause. The inspector said no fake Aadhaar had come up in this case so far, and that action would be taken against the hotel if negligence were found.

SR Nagar Hotel Crime

A 34-year-old bank customer care executive from Vikarabad district was found dead in an SR Nagar hotel on September 29. Police say she had checked in with her partner, A Srinivas, 38, who works in the Telugu film industry and had been staying at the hotel since September 9. She joined him on September 24, according to police, and both used fake Aadhaar cards, he under the name Ganesh and she as Durga.

Srinivas left at about 3:30 am on Tuesday and told reception that his partner would check out after breakfast. When she did not answer calls or the doorbell, the staff informed police, who opened the room with a spare key. Her body was on the bed, with bloodstains around it and a plate of food nearby.

Jubilee Hills DCP A Ramana Reddy of the Hyderabad police said they suspect the two argued late at night and that Srinivas hit her with a blunt object. He has been booked for murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are seeking legal opinion on whether the hotel's management can be proceeded against for failing to verify the documents. This SR Nagar hotel crime is the only one of the three in which forged ID has been reported.

Madhapur Police Investigation

A 29-year-old woman checked into a hotel on Road No. 5 in Siddiqui Nagar, Madhapur, at about 2 pm on September 21 with S Ravi Teja, who is from Andhra Pradesh. Police say she was killed that night. The next morning, Ravi Teja and the hotel staff took her to a private hospital in Kothaguda, where she was declared dead. He is said to have left the hospital soon after and switched off his phone.

Police found injuries on her face and bloodstains in the room. The Madhapur police investigation traced him to his native place in Andhra Pradesh, where he reportedly attempted suicide and was treated at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam. He was arrested after his discharge. Police said he told them he killed her because she was pressing him to marry her. Madhapur Inspector K V Subba Rao said CCTV footage helped solve the case.

ID Checks and Cheap Hotel Safety in Hyderabad

Inspector Subba Rao said hotels are required to record each guest's mobile number, address and check-in time, ask for an ID, and keep entrance CCTV footage for at least three months. In the SR Nagar case, police are examining how the forged cards were accepted at the desk, and Aadhaar verification at check-in is now a focus of the inquiry. The practice of fake ID hotel booking is what investigators are looking into there. Police have also asked hotel operators to take steps to prevent such incidents.

Telangana Hotels Association president S Venkat Reddy said hotels had been advised to follow the prescribed rules and urged the government and police to act against any that do not.

For women, cheap hotel safety in Hyderabad and Hyderabad couple hotel safety have become part of the conversation in recent days, because all three victims went to these hotels with men they knew. This report is current as of October 5 and will be updated as police confirm more.