The Ambernath police have arrested a 30-year-old woman, her paramour and their friend in connection with the murder of her husband, whose decapitated body was found in April this year. The investigation conducted over a period of eight months has uncovered a twisted tale of betrayal and deception, which included the wife spinning constant lies and a ‘dry run’ before the actual murder.
According to the Ambernath police, the body of a man in his 30s was found in the Dongral Tekdi area in Ambernath on April 10. A wider search of the area also resulted in the head being found in a bushy area around 150 metres away from the spot. However, the skin on the face had been peeled off, making identification a challenge.
After searching in vain for any missing persons’ complaints registered regarding men of the deceased’s description for several days, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunil Patil, Ambernath division, reached out to Dr. Harish Pathak, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Taxology at the KEM Hospital in Parel, and asked him if any help was possible.
Mr. Patil said, “Dr. Pathak told me to send the skull of the deceased and that he would see what he could do. Using a technique called Super Composition, Dr. Pathak and his team sent us an image of what the man might look like. We circulated the image in Ambernath and nearby areas, seeking information from citizens about anyone they knew who might look like that.”
Wife tracked down
Around a month ago, the police got a tip-off from an Ambernath resident, who told them that a Bindresh Prajapati, a driver by profession who used to work and stay in Ambernath, had been missing since April. The police made further inquiries and found that Prajapati has a home in Sion-Koliwada, where his wife Savitri stays, and that he would go home every 10 to 15 days.
Mr. Patil said, “Inquiries indicated that Savitri had not registered a missing person’s complaint despite her husband being missing since April. We called Prajapati’s two brothers for inquiries and showed them the image as well as pictures of the body. They then identified him based on his clothes and a tattoo on his hand. We asked them why no complaint had been filed, and they said they had no idea that he was dead till the time they saw the picture of the body.”
They further said that Savitri had told them he had got a job in Bengaluru and he was in regular touch with her. After several months, when there was no sign of him, they pressed her further and she spun a different story. She said that Prajapati had murdered his employer and was on the run, and that they should not approach the police unless they wanted to get caught in the inquiry themselves.
The police detained Savitri for inquiries and after grilling her for over 10 hours, she finally broke down and confessed to being involved in her husband’s murder, the officers said.
Mr. Patil said, “Savitri was having an affair with her neighbour Kisankumar Kanaujia, who would take advantage of Prajapati’s prolonged absence from home. When some other neighbours told Prajapati about his frequent visits, he confronted Kanauija who denied any affair with his wife. Prajapati still told him to stay away from his house, after which Savitri and Kanauija hatched the plan to kill him.”
Investigating officers said that on April 7, Savitri, Kanauija and their friend, Rajesh Yadav, conducted a ‘dry run’. They took Prajapati to the Dongral Tekdi and treated him to liquor. Prajapati and Yadav drank together while Kanaujia, a non-drinker, kept track of how many drinks it took to render Prajapati helpless.
On April 8, they once again took him to the same spot, this time with a full bottle of liquor. Prajapati had already had some liquor to drink before that and he drank heavily. Kanaujia then slit his throat with a dagger and severed his head. He also peeled off the skin on the face to make identification impossible, the police said.
Mr. Patil said, “Savitri, Kanaujia and Yadav were arrested and charged with murder. They have been remanded in custody till December 18.”
