Gajuwaka murder case: Navy man kills girlfriend, neighbours left shell-shocked

The accused -- Chintada Ravindra -- a Petty Officer at INS Dega of the Indian Navy, allegedly murdered his girlfriend Polipalli Mounika inside his first-floor flat before chopping her body.

Hyderabad: For the residents of Keerthi Enclave-I in LV Nagar, Gajuwaka, the brutal killing and dismemberment of a woman inside their apartment complex has come as a deeply unsettling shock.

The accused, Chintada Ravindra, a Petty Officer at INS Dega of the Indian Navy, allegedly murdered his girlfriend Polipalli Mounika, a resident of Tatichetlapalem, inside his first-floor flat before chopping her body.

None of the neighbours had suspected Ravindra capable of doing such an act. Those who knew him described him as calm, quiet, and largely kept to himself, rarely engaging with others in the complex. He was known to have a passion for bikes and owned three expensive motorcycles. Neighbours recalled seeing him outside his flat only when he headed to the gym or left for work.

Ravindra's family had moved into the apartment only about a year ago, and residents were initially uncertain about his background. "We were all families here and were naturally a little cautious about letting flats to bachelors," said one neighbour.

"At first we assumed he was a bachelor, but when we asked the flat owner, he told us Ravindra was married and that his wife would be joining him soon." True to the owner's word, Ravindra's wife moved in shortly after. Within two months, however, she left for her parents' home as she was pregnant and nearing her delivery date. From then on, neighbours said, their interactions with him became rare. His wife delivered a baby girl a few days ago.

The incident occurred on a Sunday, when most residents were at home relaxing, yet no one noticed Mounika entering the flat. The flat owner had previously mentioned that Ravindra's sister, who lived in a college hostel, would occasionally visit him. "We assumed we saw this woman once or twice and thought it was his sister," said another resident.

The revelation that a murder and the gruesome disposal of a body had taken place inside their complex left residents shaken. "We never imagined he was capable of something so heinous. We could not sleep the entire night after learning what had happened," another resident of the apartment said.