Two months after 35-yr-old’s murder, two accused held

Two months after a 35-year-old man was allegedly killed by his 28-year-old wife, the city crime branch arrested two persons, including the woman’s friend who helped

Two months after a 35-year-old man was allegedly killed by his 28-year-old wife, the city crime branch arrested two persons, including the woman’s friend who helped her, on Friday. The police are still on the lookout for the woman, who wanted to kill her husband as she had an affair.

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The three accused — the wife, Ujwala; her friend Arup Sarveshwar Das, 25, a supervisor; and Sagar Sharma, 28, an auto driver — mixed sleeping pills in the victim, Mahesh Patel’s food, and smothered him. Later, they procured a certificate from a doctor stating that Patel, a bus driver, had died of natural causes, and then cremated him.

According to the police, the accused and Patel stayed in Malwani, Malad. They had initially planned to kill Patel in an accident, and had even hired a tempo, but could not do so as the victim’s work timings did not match with their plan, said officers. Then Sharma came up with a plan to poison Patel and told Ujwala he could get sleeping pills. “Sharma, who wanted money, became party to the murder after he was promised ₹25,000,” said Ajay Joshi, senior inspector of crime branch, unit-8. Sharma bought 20 pills and gave it to the woman. On December 20, 2019, Ujwala mixed four pills in Patel’s breakfast, but the medicines did not have any impact on him. She then mixed 10 pills in his dinner, and Patel fell unconscious. Around 11.30 pm, when she checked Patel was still breathing, she called Das, who smothered him with a pillow.

The accused then approached a local doctor and got a death certificate claiming Patel’s death was natural, and cremated him, said Joshi. The murder came to light recently after Sharma, in a fit of rage, told his friend how the woman and her friend had not paid him the promised ₹25,000. Sharma’s friend then informed the police, who arrested him and later, Das. “We are inquiring about the doctor. We are also looking out for the wife,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime branch), Datta Nalawade.