Draft:List of notable domestic murder cases in India
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This article lists notable murder cases in India where the perpetrator(s) were family members or romantic partners of the victim, often involving premeditation, sensational elements, or significant public attention. These cases highlight issues such as domestic conflict, extramarital affairs, and societal pressures.[1]
Notable cases
[edit]Saurabh Rajput Murder Case (2025)
[edit]Saurabh Rajput, a 35-year-old former merchant navy officer, was allegedly murdered by his wife, Muskan Rastogi (27), and her lover, Sahil Shukla (27). The couple reportedly drugged Rajput, stabbed him multiple times, dismembered his body, and concealed it in a cement-filled drum in their rented apartment.[2][3] After the murder, they vacationed in Himachal Pradesh for 15 days, returning on 17 March 2025.[4] The crime was discovered on 18 March 2025, when Rajput’s family reported him missing, and police found the body following a foul smell complaint. Both accused were arrested on 19 March 2025, and are in custody, facing charges of murder and evidence tampering.[5]
- Status: As of March 24, 2025, the investigation is ongoing, with a fast-track trial anticipated.[6][7]
Jaipur Murder Case (2025)
[edit]A woman named Gopali, along with her lover Deendayal, allegedly killed her husband Jaipur, Rajasthan, after he caught them together.[8][9] The couple placed his body in a plastic bag, dumped it in a forest, and set it on fire to destroy evidence. The case surfaced around 19 March 2025, drawing parallels to the Meerut incident due to its domestic betrayal theme and disposal method.[10][11]
- Status: Investigation ongoing as of March 24, 2025.
Shraddha Walkar Murder Case (2022)
[edit]Shraddha Walkar, a 27-year-old woman, was murdered by her live-in partner, Aaftab Amin Poonawala, in their Delhi apartment.[12] Following an argument, Poonawala strangled Walkar, dismembered her body into 35 pieces, and stored them in a 300-litre refrigerator. Over 18 days, he disposed of the parts in the Chhatarpur forest at night to avoid detection.[13] The case surfaced in November 2022 when Walkar’s father filed a missing person report after friends noted her absence for months. Poonawala, a trained chef, confessed to the crime, citing relationship tensions. Arrested on November 12, 2022, he faces charges of murder and evidence tampering, with a 6,629-page chargesheet filed by Delhi Police detailing forensic and digital evidence.[14]
- Status: As of March 2025, Poonawala is in Tihar Jail, with the trial ongoing and heightened security due to reported threats.
Nitish Katara Murder Case (2012)
[edit]Nitish Katara, a 23-year-old business executive and MBA graduate, was abducted and murdered by Vikas Yadav, son of politician D.P. Yadav, and his cousin Vishal Yadav.[15][16] Katara was in a relationship with Bharti Yadav, Vikas’s sister, which her family opposed. On the night of February 16, 2002, Katara attended a wedding in Ghaziabad, where Vikas and Vishal took him away in a Tata Safari SUV. His body was found three days later, beaten with a hammer, doused with diesel, and set ablaze. The trial court classified it as an “honor killing” due to the family’s disapproval of the relationship. Vikas and Vishal were convicted in 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment, later adjusted by the Delhi High Court in 2015 to 25 years without remission. A third accomplice, Sukhdev Pehalwan, received a 20-year sentence.[17][18]
- Status: As of 2025, the convicts remain in prison, with occasional parole requests denied or granted temporarily.[19]
Sheena Bora murder case (2012)
[edit]Sheena Bora, a 24-year-old executive, was allegedly killed by her mother, Indrani Mukerjea, with assistance from her driver Shyamvar Rai and ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna in New Delhi.[20] The motive was reportedly tied to a romantic relationship between Sheena and Rahul Mukerjea (Indrani’s stepson) and financial disputes. Bora’s body was burned and dumped in a forest in Raigad district.[21] The case emerged in 2015 when Rai confessed during an unrelated arrest. Indrani, a media executive, and her husband Peter Mukerjea were implicated in a web of corporate fraud and murder. The trial drew massive media coverage due to the family’s high-profile status.[22][23]
- Status: Indrani Mukerjea was granted bail in 2022[24]; other accused remain in legal proceedings as of 2025.
Noida double murder case (2008)
[edit]Aarushi Talwar, a 14-year-old girl, and Hemraj Banjade, a 45-year-old domestic worker, were found murdered in the Talwar family home in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.[25] Aarushi’s throat was slit, and Hemraj’s body was discovered on the terrace a day later. Her parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar (dentists), were convicted in 2013 of the double murder, with theories suggesting honor-related motives. The case was controversial due to inconsistent investigations and media scrutiny. The Talwars were acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in 2017 due to lack of conclusive evidence.[26][27]
- Status: Remains unresolved as of 2025, with no other perpetrators identified.[28]
Naina Sahni Murder Case (1995)
[edit]Naina Sahni was murdered by her husband, Sushil Sharma, a Youth Congress leader, who suspected her of infidelity. Sharma shot her, dismembered her body, and attempted to dispose of it in a tandoor (clay oven) at a restaurant he owned.[29] The crime was discovered when staff reported a foul smell, leading to Sharma’s arrest. Known as the “Tandoor Murder,” it shocked the nation due to its gruesome execution and political connections.[30][31]
- Status: Sharma was convicted in 2003, sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment), and released in 2018 after serving over 23 years.[32]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Dandona, Rakhi (2023-03-01). "Intimate partner violence: will India find effective solutions?". The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia. 10. doi:10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100147. ISSN 2772-3682. PMID 37383365.
- ^ PTI (2025-03-23). "Meerut killing: Head severed, hands cut off, legs bent back; Autopsy reveals savagery". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "'Puncture in heart, head severed, hands cut off, legs bent backwards': Autopsy reveals savagery of killing in Meerut murder". The Times of India. 2025-03-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Livemint (2025-03-22). "Shocking details emerge in Meerut murder case: Muskan & Sahil set off on a 15-day trip to Himachal after killing Saurabh | Today News". mint. Archived from the original on 2025-03-23. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Killed, chopped by woman he fought to marry: Haunting details so far in Meerut murder". Hindustan Times. 2025-03-23. Archived from the original on 2025-03-23. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Ex-merchant navy officer's murder: Meerut police plan trial in fast-track court". The Tribune. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Meerut killing: Police plan trial in fast-track court". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Bhirani, Garvit (2025-03-20). "Jaipur woman and lover kill husband, set body on fire; grisly crime echoes Meerat merchant navy officer's murder | Today News". mint. Archived from the original on 2025-03-22. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "मेरठ, दिल्ली से जयपुर तक, ऐसे बेरहमी से हुआ 'इश्क' का कत्ल... दिल दहला देंगी मोहब्बत की 3 खौफनाक कहानियां!". आज तक (in Hindi). 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Meerut-like case in Jaipur: 'Denied him food, abused us,' says relative of man killed by wife, her lover". The Times of India. 2025-03-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Jaipur woman, lover kill husband. CCTV shows them carrying body on bike". India Today. 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Shraddha Walkar and Aftab Poonawala: India gripped by gruesome 'fridge murder'". 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Shraddha Walkar murder: Police investigate body parts found in Delhi wood". 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Crime files: Shraddha Walker to Mira Road case, here's a timeline of recent gruesome murders". The Indian Express. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Nitish Katara murder case: Timeline". India Today. 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Timeline: Nitish Katara murder case". The Indian Express. 2014-04-02. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Menon, Vandana (2024-09-16). "Nitish Katara murder witness battles 37 cases, bullets, poison—Ajay Katara a cautionary tale". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Nitish Katara murder case: what you need to know". The Hindu. 2016-10-03. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Nitish Katara case: Convict Vikas Yadav's furlough request rejected, jail admin cites 'unsatisfactory' conduct". The Indian Express. 2024-10-28. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Sheena Bora murder case: Here's all you need to know". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Sheena Bora murder case: Supreme Court notice to CBI on Indrani Mukerjea's plea to travel abroad". The Hindu. 2024-12-09. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ PTI (2022-05-18). "Sheena Bora murder case: Timeline". ThePrint. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Sheena Bora murder case: A timeline". Mid-day. 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Supreme Court grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea in Sheena Bora murder case". The Times of India. 2022-05-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Aarushi murder case: a timeline of events". The Hindu. 2017-10-12. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "Aarushi Talwar murder: Parents Rajesh and Nupur cleared on appeal". BBC. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "What is the Aarushi Talwar murder case?". The Indian Express. 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "7 Chilling Murder Mysteries The CBI Couldnt Solve - Check List Of Indias Most Controversial Unsolved Cases". Zee News. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Kumar, Ajay (2023-11-19). "Tandoor Murder: The 1995 Killing Of Naina Sahni That Still Haunts Delhi". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "From the India Today archives (1995) | Naina Sahni: Murder most foul". India Today. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ "The 1995 Tandoor Murder Case That Shocked Delhi: All You Need To Know". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
- ^ Bhandari, Hemani (2018-12-22). "Tandoor murder: I regret murdering Naina Sahni, says Sushil Sharma". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-03-25.