The grisly story began to unravel when police quizzed Madhavdas in Afzal’s presence. (Representative Image)
AHMEDABAD: A man who informed police about the alleged murder of his grandmother-in-law in Gujarat’s Surat district was himself involved in the killing and two other murders in 2022, allegedly with the intention of grabbing property, police said. He allegedly told his wife’s relatives that she had died of Covid-19 in Valthara, while telling his own relatives that she had died in Kosamba.
Accused Madhavdas Sadhu had initially told police that his grandmother-in-law, Shantaben Vasava, a resident of Kosamba, had allegedly been murdered four to five years ago by his wife Urmila and her cousin Afzal. Madhavdas then told police that he had falsely implicated Afzal as he feared that his wife, who had left home around nine months ago with their son and allegedly taken valuables, and Afzal could implicate him in a case, police said. Police said Madhavdas gave relatives different accounts of Shantaben’s death. The alleged murder was committed with the intention of taking possession of Shantaben’s property, according to police.
He claimed her body had been buried under concrete inside a house. Acting on the information, Crime Branch officials took Afzal into custody and questioned him. The case took a turn when police questioned Madhavdas in Afzal’s presence.
Afzal denied having any knowledge about Shantaben’s murder, according to a police release issued on Wednesday.