Doctor arrested for murdering wife for suspected infidelity

NAGPUR: City police arrested Dr Anil Rahule and his brother for the murder of his wife, Dr Archana, driven by jealousy and suspicion of infidelity.

NAGPUR: The city police on Sunday arrested a doctor and his younger brother for the murder of the doctor’s wife, Dr Archana Rahule, a senior assistant professor in the physiotherapy department at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur. The motive, as unearthed by the police, was the husband’s growing suspicion regarding his wife’s fidelity.

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The decomposed body of Archana (50) was discovered on the night of April 12, following a call from concerned neighbours who reported a foul smell emanating from her residence in Hudkeshwar. She was living alone as her husband, Dr Anil Rahule (52), worked at a private medical college in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, while their son, Aditya, is a third-year MBBS student studying in Pune.

Anil claimed he had returned from Raipur around 9.30 pm on April 12 and found the house door open, with Archana lying motionless on the bed. He alerted the police, stating that he found her dead with a head injury and that the house appeared ransacked. His narrative suggested a robbery gone wrong.

However, during the investigation, the Hudkeshwar police found inconsistencies in Anil’s statements. Despite portraying a loving relationship and expressing shock at the murder, his behaviour raised suspicions. He also failed to convincingly explain why he had not attempted to contact his wife over the preceding three days.

A deeper probe, including analysis of Anil’s mobile phone data, revealed that he was in Nagpur on April 9, contradicting his claim of being in Raipur. Further interrogation led to the confession of a premeditated plan to kill his wife, which Anil executed with the help of his younger brother, Raju Rahule (48), a farmer from Khairlanji village in Bhandara district.

According to the police, Anil had become increasingly suspicious of Archana’s ‘character’ for the past few months, leading to frequent arguments and even physical abuse. Archana had confided in her sister, Dr Nima Sonare (43), about Anil’s threats and violent behaviour. Family sources revealed that their only son had repeatedly tried to counsel his father to not doubt his mother but in vain.

On April 9, following another heated argument, Anil called his brother Raju to his house. During the altercation, Anil held Archana by the legs while Raju struck her on the head with an iron rod, killing her instantly. The two then staged the scene to resemble a robbery, locked the house using a central locking system, and fled.

The murder came to light only when Anil returned and raised an alarm, pretending to discover the body. Neighbours, alarmed by his cries, informed the Hudkeshwar police. A team led by senior Inspector Dnyaneshwar Bhedodkar, ACP Narendra Hiware and the zonal DCP Rashmitha Rao, reached the scene and began a detailed investigation.

Initially misled by Anil’s professional background and composed demeanour, investigators however soon unravelled the truth. Phone records, inconsistencies in Anil’s timeline, and suspicious behaviour led to the breakthrough. Upon sustained interrogation, Anil admitted to the crime and implicated his brother.

The victim, Archana, was not only a respected academic but also a highly accomplished professional. Apart from her role as a physiotherapy professor, she held a postgraduate degree in law and was pursuing her second PhD.

“We have taken both Anil and Raju into custody for further questioning. Investigators also revealed that the two brothers had been exchanging encrypted messages for several months, suggesting that the murder was planned well in advance,” said senior inspector Bhedodkar.

“Our preliminary investigation suggests that the motive was Anil’s deep mistrust and jealousy. We are examining if there were any other contributing factors,” said Ravinder Singhal, Nagpur’s Commissioner of Police.