Man sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his Congolese national wife, destroying evidence

Ranga Reddy district court sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹25,000 for murdering his wife, a Congolese national, and attempting to destroy evidence by dismembering and burning her body in 2016.The X Additional District and Sessions Judge, Rajendra Nagar, convicted Rupesh Kumar Mohanani, a private employee and resident of Gachibowli, in the case registered by Shamshabad police under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC.The case dates back to July 4, 2016, when villagers of Madanapally noticed flames and smoke coming from an isolated area near Green City Venture. On reaching the spot, they found a Ford EcoSport stuck in the mud, with Mohanani and his minor daughter nearby.Villagers also noticed dismembered human body parts burning at a short distance from the vehicle and alerted the police. During the investigation, police established that the deceased was Mohanani’s wife, Cynthia Vechel.Police said the couple had married in 2008 and had a daughter. After moving to Hyderabad, matrimonial disputes arose between them, particularly over Cynthia’s desire to leave India with their daughter and her continued contact with her former boyfriend in France.According to the prosecution case, following a heated quarrel on the intervening night of July 3 and 4, 2016, Mohanani throttled his wife to death at their residence. He allegedly then dismembered her body using an axe and knives, packed the remains in bags and transported them in his Ford EcoSport to an isolated location near Madanapally.He allegedly poured petrol over the body parts and set them on fire in an attempt to destroy the evidence and screen himself from legal punishment.During the investigation, Shamshabad police collected material objects, CCTV footage and forensic evidence and conducted DNA examination to establish the identity of the deceased and link the accused to the offence. Following the investigation, police filed a charge sheet under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. After a full-fledged trial, the court convicted Mohanani and sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine of ₹25,000. Published - August 17, 2026 07:26 pm IST