Delhi man kills wife over suspected affair, buries body in graveyard

A 47-year-old house painter allegedly killed his wife by lacing her sleeping pills with weedicide over suspicion of infidelity and buried her body in a graveyard in south Delhi, police said on Tuesday.

The body of the woman, whose name was not shared by police, was exhumed 11 days later on August 15. The couple had separated but lived in the same area, police said.

The husband, Shabab Ali, a resident of Mehrauli, was arrested on the charge of murder. His two associates — Tanveer Khan (25) and Shahrukh Khan (28) — were arrested for allegedly helping him bury the body.

A hunt is on to trace a fourth accomplice, an officer said.

“The victim, a 30-year-old mother of two, was reported missing on August 10 by one of her friends, who also expressed suspicion of wrongful confinement. Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Mehrauli Police Station and an investigation launched,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said.

The DCP said Ali, with his associates, was caught on CCTV transporting his wife’s body in a car in an unconscious state. The revelation led to the police apprehending him and questioning him. “Ali broke down and confessed to killing his wife,” the officer said.

According to his confession, Ali suspected his wife of having an affair. On July 27, he took her to a local market where he administered her sleeping pills in some food, and when she fainted, he took her in a car to an unknown location, where he kept administering her weedicide in those pills.

After four days, she died, police said. The same night, Ali took her body in a car with his accomplices to a graveyard in Chandanholla, where they buried it.

Earlier, when Ali was questioned about the woman’s disappearance, he feigned ignorance of her whereabouts to the investigators.

“With due permission from the sub-divisional magistrate, the grave was identified and the body was exhumed on August 15 in the presence of police and forensic experts. The remains were examined and sent for further analysis,” the DCP said.

Police have taken possession of the car used in the crime.

The woman is survived by an 11-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.