Jamnagar woman kills husband with lover, covers up crime by claiming he moved to Australia

New Delhi: A man missing for over two years was murdered by his wife and her lover, who poisoned his drink with cyanide and buried him in a factory, police said on Thursday.

To keep the crime secret, the victim’s wife repeatedly lied to his family, convincing them that he had relocated to Australia for a job. The truth came out after the man’s brother, Ashok Dharmeshbhai Madhavjibhai Mavdiya, filed a complaint with the police on July 26.

According to investigators, the victim, Jignesh, had no contact with his family for more than two years because his wife kept claiming he was working abroad.

“Whenever the family asked his wife about his whereabouts, she claimed he had gone to Australia. When they requested his contact number, she said the company he worked for in Australia did not permit phone calls; consequently, there was no contact between him and his family for two years,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Pratibha told mediapersons on Wednesday evening.

Police said to stop the family from worrying, the wife also told them Jignesh would return to India once he got permanent residency in Australia.

The lie fell apart when a relative planned to visit Australia and asked for Jignesh’s address and phone number.

“When threatened with police intervention, the wife finally confessed that they had killed him more than two years earlier,” Pratibha said.

Suspecting foul play, the complainant told officers he believed his brother was killed by the wife and her partner. Police picked up the wife, Prithvi, and her alleged lover, Nilesh, for interrogation. During two days of questioning, both admitted to murdering Jignesh in May 2024.

Investigators said the duo planned the crime together, mixing cyanide into Jignesh’s alcohol. After he died, they buried his body in a 12-foot-deep pit inside an empty factory that Jignesh and Nilesh had rented together.

“Upon further investigation by police, it was revealed that the victim’s wife, Prithvi, had conspired with her lover, Nilesh, to murder Jignesh by mixing cyanide into his alcohol. They buried his body inside a factory, and excavation work at the site is currently underway,” the Assistant Superintendent of Police said.

A magistrate, forensic team, and police officers were present at the factory site as workers began digging to recover Jignesh’s body. Police confirmed that work to recover the remains is still going on.

Curated by- Ramansh Dhadwal