Pune man murders wife in 'Drishyam' style over affair
Samir Jadhav meticulously planned the murder, renting a godown and building a kiln to destroy evidence before lodging a false missing complaint with the police
The Pune city police have arrested a 42-year-old man from Pune who allegedly murdered his wife over an alleged extra-marital affair and subsequently burnt her body.
Police stated that the murder was premeditated and meticulously planned, with the accused, Samir Punjabrao Jadhav, a resident of Swami Sankul Apartments in Shivane, reportedly drawing inspiration from the film Drishyam to dispose of his wife’s body.
Also Read: Bengaluru doctor who killed wife messaged other women: 'I killed my wife for you'
He allegedly attempted to eliminate all traces of evidence before lodging a false missing complaint with the police to project that his wife had gone missing.
Drishyam-style murder
According to the police, Samir, who runs an automobile garage and also works as a fabricator, married Anjali (38), a private school teacher, in 2017. Originally from Amravati, the couple lived in Shivane with their two children and Samir’s mother.
On October 28, Samir approached the Warje police station, claiming that Anjali had gone missing after leaving home around 2.15 pm on October 26 to “meet a friend.” He continued to visit the police station for updates.
Also Read: Missing TN woman found murdered in banana plantation, partner arrested
Police sub-inspectors Sanjay Narale and Nitin Gaikwad began examining CCTV footage, which showed Anjali leaving home with Samir on the same day and both travelling together.
When questioned, Samir failed to provide satisfactory answers and, under sustained interrogation, confessed to the crime, said Senior Police Inspector Vishwajeet Kaingade.
Messages to frame wife
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam stated, “A preliminary investigation has revealed that Samir was involved in an extra-marital relationship. However, he claimed that his wife was having an affair with another man, which led to frequent arguments between them over the last one and half years.”
During questioning, Samir alleged he had seen “objectionable chats” on Anjali’s phone. However, DCP Kadam said the investigation revealed that Samir himself had travelled to Hyderabad last month and sent his wife an “I love you” message from a friend’s phone.
When Anjali replied “I love you too” to the same number, he used it as “proof” of her alleged affair. “The investigation showed that in the last four months, the accused had watched the film Drishyam about four times. He then decided to kill his wife and destroy all evidence in a similar manner by disposing of her body,” the DCP said.
Meticulous planning and execution
About a month before the killing, Samir reportedly rented a godown at Shindewadi near Gogalwadi Phata, around 25 km from Pune, for Rs 18,000 a month. “Samir was skilled in iron fabrication and used this knowledge to set up a fabrication kiln in the godown. He also bought two gunny bags of wood from Karve Nagar and stored them there along with fuel,” DCP Kadam added.
On October 26, Samir took Anjali out in a car, telling her they were going on an outing. The couple travelled from Shivane to Khed Shivapur via Navale Bridge on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.
Also Read: Hyderabad woman kills twin sons, dies by suicide after dispute with husband
On their way back, he bought bhel from a hotel in Shindewadi and took her to the godown. “There, while eating bhel together, Samir allegedly strangled his wife around 10 pm. He then burnt her body in the fabrication kiln using the wood and fuel he had prepared earlier. In the early hours of October 27, he disposed of the ashes in a river and dismantled the brick kiln,” the police officer said.
Booked for murder
Senior Inspector Kaingade described the crime as meticulously executed. “He not only disposed of his wife’s body but also cleaned the crime scene to eliminate evidence. We suspect he deliberately sent his mother and children to stay with relatives before committing the murder,” he said.
“We found discrepancy in information shared by the accused after analysing CCTV footage and technical investigation. We called him and he confessed to the crime during interrogation,” he added.
The accused also reportedly visited the station multiple times, pretending to be a worried husband and following up on the case’s progress.
An FIR has been registered at the Warje police station against Samir under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). The case has been transferred to Rajgad police station for further investigation.