A 48-year-old real estate businessman was arrested by the Malkajgiri police within hours of the murder of his wife. The police seized a country-made pistol, live ammunition, knives and other material linked to the crime.

The accused, Dhamara Arun Kumar, was apprehended near Moula-Ali Railway Station on Thursday morning for allegedly killing his wife, 35-year-old Dhamara Nisharani, at their residence in Maruthi Nagar, Malkajgiri. Police said another accused, Mir Muzammil Ali Khan, a 23-year-old student from Yakutpura, was also apprehended, while a third accused remains absconding.

During the investigation, police found that Arun Kumar had been subjecting Nisharani to physical and mental harassment. The couple had been facing marital disputes for several years, with Nisharani at times taking shelter with relatives in Medak district.

Police said Arun Kumar had previously been booked in a firearm possession case by Amberpet police earlier this year and was remanded to judicial custody. Following his release, he resumed living with Nisharani at their Malkajgiri residence.

Investigators alleged that as tensions between the couple escalated, Arun Kumar shot Nisharani at their home in the early hours of June 10, resulting in her death. Acting on technical evidence and other leads, police tracked down the accused and arrested him less than a day after the incident.

The police seized a country-made pistol, a magazine containing three live rounds, three knives, a surgical blade, a car, a scooter and other items believed to be connected to the offence.

A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Further investigation is under way.