Man kills friend, keeps skull at home in Bhopal

The incident came to the fore on Monday night when Shamsher and Asha Thakur (36) threatened their neighbours with the skull during an argument.

Published on: May 25, 2022, 05:50:56 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A 40-year-old man and his live-in partner were arrested for allegedly killing a man eight months ago, and keeping his skull inside his home, police said.

Man kills friend, keeps skull at home in Bhopal (Representative Image/HT File)

The incident came to the fore on Monday night when Shamsher and Asha Thakur (36) threatened their neighbours with the skull during an argument. The deceased, Shivdutt Bholerao (39), was murdered on October 2, 2021.

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“Thakur told the police that Shivdutt was Shamsher’s friend but often harassed her. When she told Shamsher, they hatched a plan to kill him. In October, they strangulated Shivdutt to death and buried the body after pouring salt,” said Sai Krishna Thota, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bhopal.

“During probe, police found that Shivdutt’s skull was part of the decorations in the living room.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More