A former security guard who allegedly kidnapped and murdered a five-year-old girl before concealing her body in a water sump at a gated residential community in Kowkoor was arrested by the Malkajgiri police within 24 hours of the crime being reported. The accused had planned to extort ₹20 lakh from the child’s parents but decided to kill her after realising that keeping her captive until the ransom was paid would be difficult, police said.
The accused, Vikram Kumar, a native of Nalanda district in Bihar, had worked as a security guard at Villa Orchids, the same residential community where the victim, Aurelia, also known as Monu, lived with her family. His employment at the premises had ended just four days before the incident.
The victim was the daughter of Milton Fernandes Moses, 44, a research scientist. The family resided at Villa Orchids, behind Janapriya Apartments in Kowkoor.
According to the Malkajgiri police commissioner B. Sumathi, Aurelia, who was studying in PP-2, usually went cycling and played in the games zone near the clubhouse around 6 p.m. before returning home by 7 p.m. However, on Saturday (October 10, 2026), she did not return home.
When her father returned from work around 7.45 p.m., he learnt from his father that an unidentified person had called the family, claiming that the child was in his custody. Shortly afterwards, Milton received a call from the same mobile number, with the caller demanding ₹20 lakh as ransom and claiming to be in Secunderabad.
Based on his complaint, the Bolarum police registered a kidnapping case and launched a search operation. Ten special teams comprising personnel from the Malkajgiri Zone, Special Operations Team, Crimes and Special Branch were deployed to trace the child.
Investigators tracked the mobile number, call records, CCTV footage and other technical evidence. When the initial searches yielded no results, the police intensified their search within the residential community, including the clubhouse and adjoining areas.
“During the search, the child’s body was discovered inside a water sump in the clubhouse cellar. Forensic teams examined the scene to establish the circumstances surrounding her death,” said the commissioner.
The investigation subsequently led the police to Vikram Kumar, who had worked as a security guard at Villa Orchids from September 22 to October 6, 2026.
Police examined his employment records, residential details in Kowkoor, previous employment history and association with his roommates before tracing him.
“He was apprehended around 4.30 p.m. on Sunday (October 11). During interrogation, he admitted to murdering the child as part of a plan to demand ₹20 lakh from her parents,” the officer said.
According to investigators, Vikram entered the gated residential community around 6.40 p.m. on October 10 with the intention of kidnapping the girl and demanding ransom.
The commissioner added that he wanted to become wealthy quickly and was unwilling to continue working as a labourer. He consequently devised a plan to kidnap the child and extract a substantial amount from her family.
However, after taking the girl, he realised that keeping her captive until the family paid the ransom would be difficult. He then decided to kill her and conceal her body in the water sump, believing that the clubhouse cellar was rarely visited by residents.
The police said his formal arrest was effected on Monday (October 12) and that he was being produced before a court. Investigators said they would complete the investigation at the earliest and pursue the case before a fast-track court, seeking capital punishment for the accused.
Residents gather at Commissioner’s office, demand justice
Meanwhile, families residing in Villa Orchids gathered at the Malkajgiri Police Commissioner’s camp office in Begumpet, demanding justice for the child and stringent action against those responsible for such crimes. They demanded strict action and the death penalty against the accused.
The residents expressed concern over the safety of children in gated communities, pointing out that many parents leave their children at home while going to work.
They said the murder had raised serious questions about the safety of children even within residential complexes where security personnel are deployed and access to outsiders is regulated.
The families urged the police to take strict action against such offenders, stressing that parents should not have to fear for their children’s safety while they are away at work.
Police call for background checks of security staff
Following the incident, the Malkajgiri police urged residents and residential welfare associations to strengthen background verification of security guards, domestic helpers and watchmen.
The police called upon gated communities to participate in the Mee Suraksha domestic helpers verification initiative and the Nenu Saitham 2.0 CCTV surveillance programme.
According to the police, an awareness meeting had previously been conducted in the same residential community, encouraging residents to register the details of domestic helpers, security personnel and watchmen.
The police stressed that gated communities could not rely solely on access control and security personnel for protection, and that residential safety required thorough background verification, vigilant residents and coordination between residential associations and the police.
The Malkajgiri police also announced that personnel involved in the investigation and apprehension of the accused within 24 hours would be suitably rewarded.
Published – October 12, 2026 02:41 pm IST
