For 11 months, a Navi Mumbai man was thought to have disappeared without trace. Police now report he never vanished. His wife and her alleged lover are said to have strangled him, cut his body into three pieces and left the remains in a forest.
Police stated the case stayed hidden until the victim’s brother filed a missing person complaint in April 2026. Investigators reviewed call records, followed shifts in mobile numbers and questioned the suspects, uncovering the alleged murder scheme.
The accused have been named as Sunita Kushwaha, 40, and her alleged lover Rahul Dashrath Prajapati, 30. Both were detained by Rabale MIDC Police and brought before a local court, which ordered seven days of police custody.
According to police, the victim, Baliram Suryanath Kushwaha, 50, had opposed the alleged affair. Investigators believe the pair then planned to kill him.
Police said that on the night of August 9, 2025, the couple first sent Baliram’s two children to their maternal aunt’s house. After he fell asleep, they allegedly strangled him and used a sharp weapon to sever his head and divide the body into three parts.
To remove evidence, the accused reportedly wrapped the parts in sacks and bedsheets and carried them in Prajapati’s autorickshaw.
The remains were dumped at three separate spots in the Gavli Dev hill forest on the edge of Navi Mumbai.
After the killing, Sunita reportedly moved to Ghansoli with her children and began living with Prajapati.
The two allegedly told relatives and neighbours that Baliram had left home, keeping the crime concealed for nearly a year.
A neighbour told media she had lived there six months and heard the incident occurred eight to 11 months earlier. She described the victim as a good man killed due to his wife’s alleged relationship.
The breakthrough came after Baliram’s brother grew suspicious and filed the complaint. Police noted inconsistencies in statements, checked call records and mobile changes. Questioning led the pair to confess.
Police are searching the forest for remains and evidence. Further probes continue.
