Woman, her paramour`s accomplices held for husband`s murder in Dindoshi

The Dindoshi Police in Mumbai has arrested a 28-year-old woman and two of her her paramour`s accomplices in connection with the brutal murder of her husband, an official said.

According to police sources, the deceased has been identified as Chandrashekhar Ramsingh Chauhan (35), who worked in the film industry. He is survived by his wife, Ranju (28), and their three children, including a 12-year-old daughter. The police investigations revealed that Chandrashekhar and Ranju had a troubled marriage, marked by frequent arguments. Chauhan suspected his wife of infidelity, while Ranju, fearing that her husband had discovered the truth, sought help from her 20-year-old lover, Shahrukh Khan.

They said that Shahrukh and Ranju had met through social media and developed a close bond, often spending hours on the phone. He frequently visited her house in her husband’s absence and became friendly with her children, even taking them out on outings.

Police sources further said that a recent argument between Chandrashekhar and Ranju turned violent, with Chandrashekhar physically assaulting her. Frustrated with her situation, Ranju urged Shahrukh to help eliminate her husband permanently. She even threatened to take her own life if Chauhan was not killed.

The police sources further said, emotionally influenced by Ranju, Shahrukh assured her of his support and devised a murder plan. He roped in two of his friends, Moinuddin Latif Khan (20) and Shivdas Prasad, by offering them Rs. 2 lakh each.

On the day of the murder, Shahrukh arrived at Chauhan’s house with his two accomplices. Ranju opened the door and led them inside. Together, they overpowered Chauhan and strangled him to death.

According to police sources, Ranju covered Chauhan’s mouth to muffle his screams, while Shahrukh and Moinuddin pressed a wooden plank against his neck. They sat on the plank and did not move until he stopped breathing, ensuring his death. Meanwhile, Shivdas Prasad held Chauhan’s legs to prevent resistance.

After committing the crime, the accused fled the scene.

The next morning, Ranju called her brother-in-law, Virendra Chauhan, who resides in Dadar, and informed him about Chandrashekhar’s condition, said an official.

At around noon, Virendra Chauhan (50) arrived at the Dindoshi Police Station and reported his brother-in-law’s death.

The duty officer visited the crime scene and noticed suspicious marks on the deceased’s neck. Senior officers were immediately informed, and a spot Panchnama was conducted before sending the body for an autopsy. The doctor who examined the body also suspected foul play, and the postmortem report confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation, the official said.

The police said that under the guidance of DCP Smita Patil, Senior Inspector Ajay Afale, and PSI Ajit Desai, the police launched an investigation. When interrogated, Ranju initially claimed that someone had been knocking on their door in the early hours every day, and on the day of the incident, she had found her husband unresponsive in the morning. However, inconsistencies in her statement raised further suspicion.

The officials said that the police analysed Ranju’s Call Data Records (CDR) and discovered a number with which she frequently communicated, including on the night of the murder.

Further investigations of that number`s CDR revealed that the locations of two suspects were traced to Ranju’s house at the time of the crime.

Faced with mounting evidence, Ranju finally broke down during questioning and confessed to the crime, sources said.

The police arrested Moinuddin Khan and later Shivdas Ayodhya Prasad. However, Shahrukh Khan remains absconding, and efforts are underway to track him down, said an officer.