Hyderabad Realtor Drugged, Smothered To Death, Wife Arrested For Murder

A missing persom case in Hyderabad's Miyapur has unravlled into a murder mystery, with police arresting three people, including the victim's wife after an extensive eight-month investigation. 

Police said they have solved the murder of Mallani Pentesh, a 55-year-old real estate businessman who owned properties in Hyderabad's Kukatpally and Patancheru areas.

According to investigators, Pentesh went missing in November 2025. His wife, Satyavathi (40), subsequently filed a missing person complaint, prompting a search operation. When initial efforts failed to trace him, police launched a detailed investigation. 

On Wednesday, police arrested Satyavathi, her alleged partner Marri Madhusudan Reddy, and Rajesh Kumar in connection with the case. 

Investigators said Satyavathi and Madhusudan Reddy, who were in a relationship, conspired to kill Pentesh in order to gain control of his assets and live together.

Police said Pentesh was allegedly given sleeping pills mixed with dinner on November 18, 2025. After he lost consciousness, the accused allegedly smothered him to death. His body was then taken in a Mahindra XUV500 to Naldurg in Maharashtra, where it was allegedly doused with petrol and set on fire.

The breakthrough came when investigators linked the case to the recovery of a semi-burnt unidentified body by Naldurg police on November 19, 2025. Preserved skeletal remains and other evidence collected in Maharashtra played a crucial role in establishing the victim's identity, police said.

Police said they seized several mobile phones, a four-tola gold chain, Rs 2 lakh in cash and the SUV allegedly used in the crime.

The case, initially registered as a missing person complaint, has now been converted into a murder investigation, with further probe underway, police said.