PUNE, 9 NOV. The Pune City Police, specifically the Warje Malwadi police station, have uncovered a premeditated and meticulously planned murder inspired by the Bollywood movie Drishyam. The accused, identified as Samir Punjabrao Jadhav (42), a resident of Shivane, allegedly murdered his wife, Anjali Jadhav (38), a private school teacher, and then attempted to destroy all evidence by burning her body and subsequently filing a false missing person report.
Samir, who runs a garage and works as a fabricator, married Anjali in 2017. The couple, originally from Amravati, lived in Shivane with their two children and Samir’s mother. The investigation revealed that Samir suspected his wife of having an extramarital affair, which led to frequent arguments between them over the past eighteen months. However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam stated that the probe also revealed Samir himself had an extramarital affair. In a manipulative move, Samir had previously traveled to Hyderabad and sent his wife an "I love you" message from a friend's phone, which he later used as "proof" of her supposed affair when she replied to the number.
The investigation revealed that Samir had watched the movie Drishyam about four times in the last four months and decided to execute the crime and destroy evidence using the method depicted in the film. About a month before the murder, he rented a godown in Shindewadi near Gogalwadi Phata, approximately 25 kilometers from Pune, for ₹18,000 per month. Using his knowledge of iron fabrication, he set up a fabrication kiln, and had already procured wood and fuel.
On the morning of October 26, Samir took Anjali out in a car under the pretense of a trip. While returning, they bought bhel and went to the rented godown. Around 10 PM, as they were having bhel, Samir allegedly strangled his wife. He then burned her body in the pre-prepared kiln using wood and fuel. In the early hours of October 27, he disposed of the ashes in a river and dismantled the kiln to eliminate any evidence.
To cover up the crime, Samir sent his mother and children to a family member's place and later approached the Warje police station on October 28, claiming Anjali had gone missing after leaving home on October 26 to "meet a friend." He made repeated visits to the police station for updates on her whereabouts.
The case was cracked through a thorough technical investigation, which included reviewing CCTV footage. Police Sub-Inspectors Sanjay Narale and Nitin Gaikwad reviewed the visuals, which showed Anjali leaving the house with Samir on October 26, directly contradicting his statement that she had left alone. When questioned, Samir’s responses were unsatisfactory, and upon sustained interrogation, he confessed to the murder.
Senior Police Inspector Vishwajeet Kaingade confirmed the murder was meticulously planned, noting the extensive effort to dispose of the body and wash the crime scene to destroy all evidence. An FIR has been registered against Samir under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), and the case has been transferred to the Rajgad police station for further investigation due to the location of the crime scene.
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