Body dismembered, dumped: Woman, lover arrested 11 months after husband's murder
Navi Mumbai police have arrested a woman and her alleged lover for killing her husband and dumping his dismembered remains in a forest. The case surfaced after the victim's brother pressed for answers, exposing an alleged cover-up that lasted months.
Nearly a year after a 50-year-old man went missing, police in Navi Mumbai have arrested his wife and her alleged lover for allegedly killing him, chopping the body into pieces and dumping the remains in a forest, officials said on Tuesday.
The crime, which police said took place in August last year, came to light recently after the victim's brother became suspicious about his disappearance and approached the police. The two accused were arrested on Sunday and later sent to seven-day police custody by a local court.
The victim, Baliram Suryanath Kushwaha, lived in Airoli in Navi Mumbai with his wife Sunita, 40, and their two children. Investigators said Sunita was in an extra-marital relationship with Rahul Dashrath Prajapati, 30, an autorickshaw driver. When Baliram came to know about the relationship and opposed it, the two allegedly conspired to kill him, an official from Rabale MIDC police station said.
According to the police, on the night of August 9, 2025, after sending the children to a relative's house, the accused allegedly strangled Baliram while he was asleep and slit his throat. To destroy evidence, they allegedly cut the body into three parts, wrapped the remains in sacks and took them in Prajapati's autorickshaw to the Gawli Dev hill forest, where the body parts were dumped at different locations, the official said.
Police said Sunita later rented out the family home and moved with her children to Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai. The crime remained undetected until April this year, when Baliram's brother visited her and became suspicious of her evasive replies about his disappearance. He then lodged a missing person's complaint.
During the investigation, police found that the accused had frequently changed their phones and SIM cards to avoid detection. However, Call Detail Records showed they were in constant touch, police said. During sustained questioning, both allegedly confessed to the crime. They were booked on charges of murder and destruction of evidence.
Police have recovered some of Baliram's remains from the dense Gawli Dev forest and are searching for the other body parts. Officials said the arrests came after the missing person's complaint led investigators to reopen the circumstances of his disappearance and question the two accused.
Nearly a year after a 50-year-old man went missing, police in Navi Mumbai have arrested his wife and her alleged lover for allegedly killing him, chopping the body into pieces and dumping the remains in a forest, officials said on Tuesday.
The crime, which police said took place in August last year, came to light recently after the victim's brother became suspicious about his disappearance and approached the police. The two accused were arrested on Sunday and later sent to seven-day police custody by a local court.
The victim, Baliram Suryanath Kushwaha, lived in Airoli in Navi Mumbai with his wife Sunita, 40, and their two children. Investigators said Sunita was in an extra-marital relationship with Rahul Dashrath Prajapati, 30, an autorickshaw driver. When Baliram came to know about the relationship and opposed it, the two allegedly conspired to kill him, an official from Rabale MIDC police station said.
According to the police, on the night of August 9, 2025, after sending the children to a relative's house, the accused allegedly strangled Baliram while he was asleep and slit his throat. To destroy evidence, they allegedly cut the body into three parts, wrapped the remains in sacks and took them in Prajapati's autorickshaw to the Gawli Dev hill forest, where the body parts were dumped at different locations, the official said.
Police said Sunita later rented out the family home and moved with her children to Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai. The crime remained undetected until April this year, when Baliram's brother visited her and became suspicious of her evasive replies about his disappearance. He then lodged a missing person's complaint.
During the investigation, police found that the accused had frequently changed their phones and SIM cards to avoid detection. However, Call Detail Records showed they were in constant touch, police said. During sustained questioning, both allegedly confessed to the crime. They were booked on charges of murder and destruction of evidence.
Police have recovered some of Baliram's remains from the dense Gawli Dev forest and are searching for the other body parts. Officials said the arrests came after the missing person's complaint led investigators to reopen the circumstances of his disappearance and question the two accused.
