In a crime reportedly inspired by the Bollywood film Drishyam, a 21-year-old married woman from Gujarat’s Patan district, along with her lover, allegedly faked her own death by killing a middle-aged man, dressing his body in her clothes, and setting it on fire.
The accused,identified as Geeta Ahir and Bharat Ahir, were apprehended at the Palanpur railway station while attempting to flee the state, according to reports.
The incident came to light when a half-burnt body was discovered near a pond in Jakhotra village, Santalpur taluka. Initially, the family of the woman believed the charred remains were hers, as the body was dressed in her traditional skirt (ghagra) and adorned with her anklets. However, police were alerted when the family found out that it was the dead body of a male.
Authorities later identified the deceased as 56-year-old Harjibhai Solanki, a homeless man from Vauva village.
During investigation, police discovered that Geeta had allegedly devised a plan to stage her death so she could elope with her lover.
On the night of May 28, Geeta is said to have quietly left her home while her family was asleep. Meanwhile, Bharat had lured Solanki under the pretext of offering him help. Once in a secluded area, Solanki was reportedly strangled to death. His body was then transported to the outskirts of Jakhotra.
Geeta allegedly met Bharat at the location, carrying a bottle of petrol. They placed her clothes and jewelry on Solanki’s body to mislead investigators, then set it ablaze before heading to Palanpur to board a train to Jodhpur. Their plan, however, was foiled when local police tracked them down and arrested them at the railway station.
During interrogation, both reportedly confessed to the crime and admitted the influence of the Drishyam film series on their plan. A case of murder has been registered, and further investigation is underway.