Yavatmal: In a chilling case that has stunned the education fraternity in Yavatmal, a 23-year-old school principal has been arrested for allegedly poisoning her husband to death and then roping in three of her minor tuition students to help dispose of and burn the body in a forested area.
According to the police, the accused principal meticulously searched “how to make poison” on Google before grinding poisonous datura seeds into a paste and mixing them with 15 paracetamol tablets in a pineapple milkshake. She served the lethal drink to her intoxicated husband on the afternoon of May 13, and he collapsed within two hours.
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The accused, Nidhi Deshmukh, principal of a private school on Darwha Road, was arrested by Lohara Police after she confessed to killing her husband, Shantanu Deshmukh (32), a temporary teacher at the same school. The couple had an inter-caste love marriage two years ago, but growing tensions and Shantanu’s alleged alcohol addiction reportedly pushed Nidhi to plot his murder.
What has shocked investigators even more is her next move — she allegedly sought help from three Class 9 students, who were regulars at her private tuition classes, to dispose of the body.
On the night of May 14, Nidhi and the boys loaded the corpse into a car and dumped it in the Chausala forest, about 15 km from the city. Fearing the body might be discovered and traced back to her, Nidhi allegedly returned the next night with the same students, poured petrol on the body, and set it ablaze in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The partially burnt body was discovered on May 15, prompting the Local Crime Branch (LCB) to launch a probe under Superintendent of Police Kumar Chinta. Initially, the body was unidentifiable. However, investigators soon linked the discovery to Shantanu Deshmukh, who had been reported missing. His friends later confirmed the identity.
When questioned, Nidhi reportedly confessed in detail, exposing the disturbing plot and the involvement of the unsuspecting minors.
The three students have been detained, and the police are now probing the extent of psychological manipulation involved in convincing them to take part in such a gruesome act.
The case has sent shockwaves through Yavatmal’s academic community, raising serious concerns about mental health, domestic strife, and the vulnerability of minors to adult exploitation.
