Gujarat: Man confesses to killings after accusing others in grandmother-in-law’s murder case
Ahmedabad, Sep 30 (IANS) A man who approached the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch with information regarding the alleged murder of his 85-year-old grandmother-in-law in Surat district has himself allegedly confessed to three killings committed in 2022, police said on Wednesday.
The case took a dramatic turn after the Crime Branch questioned the man whom he had named as a co-accused and found no evidence of his involvement in the alleged murder.
During further questioning, the informant, identified as Madhavdas Bhaktiram Sadhu, allegedly admitted that he had provided false information to implicate his wife, Urmila alias Jaya, and his cousin, Afzal alias Poto Diwan.
According to the Crime Branch, Madhavdas had alleged that Shantaben Gambhirbhai Vasava, a resident of Kabristan Faliya in Kosamba, Mangrol taluka of Surat district, had been murdered four to five years ago by Urmila and Afzal, and that her body had been buried under cement inside a house.
Acting on the information, the Crime Branch brought Afzal to its office for questioning.
Police said Afzal denied any knowledge of Shantaben’s murder.
This prompted investigators to question both Madhavdas and Afzal in detail, during which Madhavdas allegedly admitted he had falsely named Afzal.
ACP (Crime Branch) Bharat Patel said the investigation shifted towards Madhavdas after Afzal’s questioning failed to establish any involvement.
“Initially, Madhavdas came before the Crime Branch and alleged that his wife and Afzal had jointly murdered his grandmother-in-law,” Patel said.
According to the ACP, questioning Afzal revealed he had no role in the information Madhavdas provided, raising suspicion and leading to a more detailed interrogation of Madhavdas.
Patel said Madhavdas allegedly confessed to killing his mother, grandmother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Police said Madhavdas told investigators that his wife had been living separately for around nine months after leaving with their son and taking gold and silver jewellery and cash.
He allegedly suspected that she was leading a separate life and admitted that he wanted revenge by giving false information against both his wife and Afzal.
The Crime Branch said Madhavdas subsequently confessed that he and Urmila had jointly killed three women in 2022.
In the first case, police alleged that Madhavdas and Urmila killed Shantaben on the night of October 7, 2022, while she was asleep on a cot.
They allegedly smothered her with a pillow, placed the body in a drum, added three bags of cement and water, and kept it inside the house.
About three-and-a-half months later, they allegedly cut open the drum and buried the body, along with the cement block, in a pit dug in the verandah.
Police said the accused allegedly gave relatives different accounts of Shantaben’s death, claiming in some instances that she had died of COVID at Walthera and, in others, that she had died in Kosamba.
According to investigators, the alleged motive was to take possession of Shantaben’s property and obtain gold, silver jewellery and cash.
The second alleged victim was Madhavdas’ mother, 65-year-old Manjulaben Bhaktiram Sadhu.
Police said she had suffered paralysis around 2021, was bedridden, and had developed sores on her body.
As Madhavdas and Urmila were responsible for her care, they allegedly decided to kill her.
According to the Crime Branch, the two allegedly smothered Manjulaben with a pillow on the night of July 19, 2022, and later told relatives that she had died due to paralysis.
Her last rites were performed at the Chhakli Talav crematorium in Dholka.
The third alleged victim was Bharati alias Bhagwati, Urmila’s sister.
She was married to Kamleshbhai Vasava of Padvat village in Kosamba taluka and lived with Shantaben in Kosamba.
Police said Kamleshbhai had died in his native village after consuming medicine, while Bharati, who was suffering from tuberculosis, continued to live with Shantaben.
The Crime Branch said Madhavdas and Urmila used to visit Bharati, check on her health, and provide financial assistance for medical treatment.
On February 25, 2022, they allegedly smothered her with a pillow at night and later informed others that she had died due to tuberculosis before arranging her burial in Kosamba.
Patel said the victims’ advanced age and serious illnesses allegedly enabled the accused to portray the deaths as natural or illness-related.
“Two of the victims were elderly, and the third was suffering from tuberculosis. The accused allegedly took advantage of these circumstances and portrayed the deaths as resulting from illness,” he said.
Police said Madhavdas was not engaged in regular work and frequently sought money from various sources.
According to the Crime Branch, the three women were allegedly targeted because the accused believed they could gain money, jewellery or property from them.
After Madhavdas disclosed the location where he allegedly buried Shantaben, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch contacted the Surat Rural Police.
Teams from both police units reached the house in Kosamba and excavated the location identified during the investigation.
Human remains were recovered from the site, police said.
A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team is conducting further examination, while DNA matching with relatives is also being undertaken.
“After excavation at the location identified by Madhavdas, human remains were recovered. The FSL team is carrying out further procedures, and DNA matching with relatives is also being undertaken,” Patel said.
The ACP said the recovery of the remains from the location identified by Madhavdas provided preliminary support to his account of Shantaben’s killing. At the same time, forensic examination and further investigation would establish the identity and other details.
Police said Urmila was not living with Madhavdas and that local police would take further action against her.
The investigation into the three alleged killings, the recovered human remains, and the forensic evidence is continuing.
–IANS
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