- A woman in Gujarat was allegedly drugged and murdered by her ex-househelp over a debt of gold and cash
- The victim, Shanti Ben Akediwala, went missing on March 22 before her body was found
- Rekha Rathore, a former househelp, orchestrated the murder to avoid repayment
A woman in Gujarat's Palanpur was allegedly drugged and murdered by former househelp to settle a debt of gold and cash.
The victim, Shanti Ben Akediwala, had been missing since March 22 before her body was recovered by local authorities.
The Betrayal
The primary accused, Rekha Rathore, knew Shanti Ben's family for over 15 years. She first started working as a househelp, and they then turned into friends. She later started her furniture business.
According to police reports, Shanti Ben had lent Rekha a significant amount of gold jewellery and cash approximately one year ago to help her with her business.
Investigations suggest that when Shanti Ben began demanding the return of her assets, Rekha orchestrated a deadly trap.
On the night of March 22, Shanti Ben was lured to Rekha's furniture shop under the guise of a meeting.
It is alleged that she was first drugged before being brutally murdered by Rekha and her four aides.
The Discovery
To erase evidence of the crime, the accused stuffed Shanti Ben's body into a sack.
The remains were then transported and dumped in the basement of an abandoned showroom in Palanpur.
The police initiated a search after the family reported her missing.
Following a tip-off and forensic leads, the police recovered the body and identified the involvement of Rekha.
Shanti Ben's family members, including her daughter, Nancy, and sister, Kailash Ben, protested at the police station demanding the strictest possible punishment.
They initially refused to claim her body, insisting that the accused be paraded publicly to answer for the betrayal.
The Arrests
Rekha Rathore and one of her aides are currently in police custody.
Police have formed special teams to track down three other individuals involved in the conspiracy.
A case has been registered for murder, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence.
The police are continuing their interrogation to recover the gold and determine the exact substance used to drug Shanti Ben.
