Debt ridden couple kill two elderly women, planned to murder six more

By Sumesh Rajan | May 20, 2026

Vikarabad, Telangana, INDIA: In a chilling case from Vikarabad district, Telangana Police have arrested a debt-ridden couple and their relative for allegedly murdering two elderly women who had lent them money and were demanding repayment. Investigators say the accused were planning to kill at least six more lenders to avoid returning borrowed funds.

The arrested accused have been identified as Karima Begum (43), her live-in partner Abdul Rehman, and Karima’s cousin Abdul Nayeem.

According to police, the trio allegedly lured two widows—Mahbub Begum (65) and Abida Begum (60), both residents of Tandur— to a secluded farmhouse in the Tolkatta area near Moinabad on the pretext of repaying loans. Once there, they allegedly smothered the women to death and buried their bodies in shallow graves.

The murders came to light after relatives of the victims filed missing complaints at Telangana Police stations in Yalal and Basheerabad. Investigators tracking mobile phone signals obtained a breakthrough when one of the victims’ phones briefly connected near a bus stop outside Tandur. The trail eventually led police to Karima Begum and the farmhouse where the bodies were exhumed.

Borrowed Lifestyle Turned Deadly

Police said Karima and Abdul had no stable source of income and were living almost entirely on borrowed money. They allegedly targeted elderly women living alone, befriended them, and repeatedly borrowed small amounts under the guise of emergencies.

Abida Begum, an anganwadi attendant, had reportedly lent Karima around Rs 70,000 over time, while Mahbub Begum, who survived on a senior citizen pension, had lent approximately Rs 40,000.

Investigators estimate the couple borrowed between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 12 lakh from multiple people across the district.

Plan to Eliminate Other Lenders

During interrogation, Abdul Rehman and Abdul Nayeem allegedly confessed that they intended to kill six more women who had been pressuring them to repay debts. Police said the women became suspicious and refused to travel to the farmhouse after the two victims went missing.

“We have learned that the accused planned to eliminate anyone who was demanding their money back,” said Circle Inspector Praveen Kumar Reddy.

Suicide Attempt in Custody

Police said Karima Begum, believed to be the mastermind behind the killings, attempted suicide while in custody at Karankote Police Station. She was initially treated at Tandur Government Hospital and later shifted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, where she remains under treatment.

The trio has been booked for murder and related offences, and further investigations are underway to determine whether they may be linked to any other missing persons cases in the district.