In a shocking case from Jharkhand, a man allegedly murdered his wife with the assistance of his girlfriend and then attempted to conceal the crime by killing a dog and burying it at the same location. The grisly incident, which occurred in the Bishrampur police station limits of Palamu district, came to light after a week-long investigation triggered by villagers' suspicions.
The Disappearance and Discovery
The victim, identified as 25-year-old Priyanka Devi, also known as Pooja, a resident of Tisibar Darua village under the Pandu police station area, was married to the accused, Ranjit Mehta of Kaudiya Bhukhla village. She was reported missing on December 26. Her family's repeated attempts to contact her failed as her phone remained switched off.
After she did not return home, the family filed a formal police complaint. Acting on a tip-off and growing rumours in the community, police zeroed in on a plot of fallow land in Tukbera village, which is the native village of the suspect's girlfriend. On Thursday, using a JCB machine, officers exhumed the woman's body from a five-feet-deep pit in the presence of a magistrate. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination.
A Macabre Plot to Mislead
According to the police, the accused hatched a cold-blooded plan to throw investigators off the scent. Rishikesh Dubey, the Bisrampur police in-charge, revealed that the suspect killed a dog and dumped it at the burial site. The intention was to make people believe that the foul smell emanating from the area was from the dead animal and not a human corpse.
"Investigation suggests she was murdered and buried the same day. Nobody had any suspicion initially," Dubey told The Indian Express. He added that the suspect, in a brazen move, dug up the site four days later under the pretence of disposing of a dead dog. "The pit was dug and the bodies of the dog and victim were thrown in, and the pit was covered," Dubey explained.
Legal Action and Manhunt
The couple had been married for approximately seven years. Following the recovery of the body, the victim's family lodged a named First Information Report (FIR). The complaint targets the husband Ranjit Mehta, his girlfriend, his father, and other alleged associates.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to murder, criminal conspiracy, and destruction of evidence. However, a manhunt is underway as the primary accused, Ranjit Mehta, and his girlfriend are currently absconding. Police teams are conducting raids to apprehend them.
The case has sent shockwaves through the local community, highlighting a premeditated and brutal crime followed by a desperate attempt to hide the truth.
