On June 23, 2018, when the news of the brutal murder of Shailja Dwivedi by Major Nikhil Handa broke, it rattled the nation. But the incident is not the first of its kind. Such shocking incidents have come to light time and again, and make up a fair share of murders committed in the country. According to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, of the 30,450 murders that took place in 2016 in the country, a little over 10 per cent were attributed to love affairs and illicit relationships. Uttar Pradesh leads in such cases, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Amongst cities, Patna reported the highest number of similar cases.
Love, sex, dhoka: The most sensational cases
Nanavati Murder Case
April 27, 1959.
Naval Commander Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati shot dead Prem Ahuja, his English wife’s lover.
Verdict: Sentenced to life imprisonment, pardoned after serving 3 years in jail.
Tandoor Murder Case
July 3, 1995.
The woman, Naina Sahni, was murdered, cut to pieces and burnt in a tandoor by her husband Sushil Sharma, a Congress worker, on smelling an illicit-relationship
Verdict: Life imprisonment for Sharma in 2013.
Madhumita Shukla Murder Case
May 9, 2003.
Madhumita Shukla, a budding poet was gunned down at her home. The murder turned to be a contract killing at the behest of Madhumani Tripathi, wife of politician Amarmani Tripathi who opposed Shukla’s affair with her husband.
Verdict: The duo were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Neeraj Grover Murder Case
May 6, 2008.
The television executive was stabbed to death in Kannada actress Maria Susairaj’s flat by her fiancé.
Verdict: 3-yr jail to actress and 10-yr imprisonment to fiancé.
Mutton Soup Murder Case
November 27, 2017
The woman, M. Swathi, along with her lover Rajesh, a physiotherapist, murdered her husband M. Sudhakar Reddy, taking a cue of the plot from the crime thriller, Yevadu .
Verdict: Arrested
Love-obsessed murders an inspiration for filmmakers
Some of the most gruesome murders over love affairs and illicit relationships have been adapted on celluloid too. The Nanavati Murder Case of 1959 that held the nation captive, inspired three filmmakers at different points of time.
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