Drishyam-Inspired Murder: Pune Man Kills Wife, Burns Body in Furnace and Stages Cover-Up

The man strangled his wife and subsequently incinerated her body in a furnace.

Pune:

In a disturbing incident from Pune reminiscent of a Bollywood thriller plot, a man allegedly murdered his wife last month, incinerated her remains in an improvised furnace, and subsequently made multiple visits to the police station feigning desperation to mislead investigators. Following the murder, he sent text messages to another individual to fabricate evidence suggesting his wife was engaged in an extramarital affair.

However, thorough police investigation thwarted his elaborate scheme. After his arrest, he confessed that he had meticulously planned the murder after watching the Ajay Devgn film "Drishyam" at least four times.

The perpetrator, Sameer Jadhav, and his spouse, Anjali Sameer Jadhav (38) - who worked as a private school teacher - had been married since 2017. Mr. Jadhav possessed an automobile diploma and operated a garage business.

The couple resided in Pune's Shivane area with their two children who were enrolled in the third and fifth grades.

The Accused's Statement to Police

On October 26, Mr. Jadhav escorted his wife to a warehouse he had rented, under the guise of "showing her the new godown." Once inside, he strangled her.

He had previously constructed an iron furnace at the location specifically to eliminate evidence of the crime.

Sameer Jadhav then cremated her body in the furnace and dispersed the ashes in a nearby river.

Their children were away visiting their native village for Diwali celebrations at the time of the incident.

Initially, investigators suspected Mr. Jadhav killed his wife due to concerns about her fidelity. However, the investigation revealed that Mr. Jadhav himself was involved in a relationship with another woman.

To strengthen his deception and cast aspersions on his wife's character, he allegedly used Anjali's phone to send an 'I love you' message to one of his friends and then responded to the message himself, creating a fraudulent digital trail suggesting her involvement in an affair.

The Façade of a Grieving Husband

After committing the murder, Sameer visited the police station to report his wife missing and continued returning, anxiously inquiring when authorities would locate his "missing wife" and what progress had been made in identifying the "killer."

However, rather than reinforcing his innocence, this performance aroused police suspicion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam explained that investigators ultimately solved the case based on Sameer Jadhav's persistent questioning, analysis of surveillance footage, and comprehensive technical investigation. Inconsistencies between his statements and technical evidence prompted police to subject him to intensive questioning, during which he finally admitted to the crime and acknowledged drawing inspiration from the movie Drishyam.

A case has been registered against the accused at the Warje Malwadi Police Station, with the investigation subsequently transferred to Rajgad Police Station for further proceedings.