Drishyam-Style Murder In Delhi, Painter Buried Wife's Body In Graveyard

A 30-year-old woman was killed and buried in a cemetery in Delhi by her husband over a suspected affair, in a sensational murder case that mirrors the plot of the Bollywood movie Drishyam. His plan to make it appear that she had eloped with her lover was exposed by CCTV footage, and he and two of his associates have been arrested by Delhi Police.

Shabab Ali, 47, a painter who belongs to Uttar Pradesh's Amroha, killed his wife Fatima in Mehrauli, suspecting her of infidelity, police said. Sharing details from their probe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Ankit Chauhan said the accused made his wife drink pesticides and gave her intoxicating pills for five days.

The accused then carried her body in a car to a cemetery in Mehrauli with the help of his associates, Shahrukh Khan, Tanveer, and another person. They buried Fatima's body at the cemetery and threw her clothes in a canal, said DCP Chauhan.

To avoid being caught, Shadab went back to his native Amroha and sent himself a text from Fatima's phone that she had eloped and would marry someone else.

The incident came to light after a missing person report was filed on August 10 by a friend of the victim at the Mehrauli police station. The complainant suspected she was kidnapped and was being held hostage. A CCTV footage that emerged during the investigation showed Fatima with her husband and his associates. She appeared unconscious in the footage.

Shadab initially denied the crime and then claimed that he threw the body in a canal to mislead the investigation. However, during further interrogation, he confessed. He claimed Fatima had an extramarital affair, due to which he planned to murder her.

The accused said that he gave Fatima some pills due to which she lost her senses, and then brought her to a house in Fatehpur Beri, where he was involved in the construction. Till July 31, she kept Fatima there. During this time, he fed her pesticides. In between, she experienced pain and was taken to a compounder. She was thereafter brought back to their house in Mehrauli.

Fatima died on August 1.

The next night, he and his associates put her body in the car and drove to the graveyard. There, they buried the body with the help of Shahrukh and Tanveer.

Based on the husband's confession, the cops exhumed Fatima's body in the presence of a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) on August 15, about 11 days after she died. Shadab, Shahrukh, and Tanveer have been arrested, while another accused is still at large. The car used to dispose of the body has also been recovered.