Nagpur: In a chilling case of premeditated murder, a 33-year-old man was allegedly killed by his wife’s lover, who, with her alleged assistance, attempted to pass off the crime as a road accident by dumping the body on a roadside in the MIDC police station limits.
The deceased has been identified as Sudhir Mahendraprasad Dwivedi (33), a resident of Gajanan Nagar on Hingna Road. MIDC police have registered a case of murder against his wife, Pooja Sudhir Dwivedi (22), and her alleged paramour, Ashishkumar Nareshkumar Agnihotri (29). Ashishkumar has been arrested, while further investigation into Pooja’s role is underway.
According to police, Sudhir’s body was found lying near an electric pole on Rajiv Nagar Main Road at around 8.20 am on August 10. Based on a complaint lodged by his brother, Sukhendrakumar Dwivedi, police initially registered an accidental death case as the circumstances appeared to suggest a road mishap.
However, the investigation took a dramatic turn after the post-mortem examination revealed that Sudhir had died due to homicidal violence and not in an accident. The forensic findings prompted investigators to launch a detailed probe into his personal and family circumstances.
During the investigation, police uncovered that Pooja was allegedly involved in an extramarital relationship with Ashishkumar. Investigators found that Ashishkumar and Sudhir were employed in nearby private companies and had developed a friendship over time. He frequently visited Sudhir’s residence, where he allegedly became involved with Pooja.
Police said Sudhir had grown suspicious of his wife’s alleged affair and had even shared his concerns with Ashishkumar, unaware that he himself was the person allegedly involved in the relationship.
Investigators believe the accused conspired to eliminate Sudhir in order to continue their relationship without opposition.
According to police, on the night of August 9, Sudhir was allegedly made to consume a large quantity of alcohol at his residence. Once he was heavily intoxicated, Ashishkumar allegedly struck him on the forehead with an iron rod before suffocating him by pressing an odhni over his nose and mouth.
After allegedly killing him, the accused transported the body to Rajiv Nagar Main Road and abandoned it near an electric pole. To mislead investigators and create the impression that Sudhir had died accidentally after consuming liquor, they allegedly left behind a partially consumed liquor bottle at the scene.
Police also found that shortly after the incident, both accused allegedly deactivated their existing mobile SIM cards and began using new numbers, a move investigators suspect was intended to evade surveillance and hamper the investigation.
Based on the evidence collected during the probe, Police Sub-Inspector Sagar Gaikwad lodged a complaint, following which PSI Akshay Gawande registered a case of murder against the accused.
Ashishkumar was produced before a local court, which remanded him to four days’ police custody for further interrogation. Police are continuing the investigation to establish the complete sequence of events and gather additional evidence in the case.
