Forensic student planned crime show-type 'perfect murder' of partner; CCTV exposed it

New Delhi: It was supposed to be a "perfect murder" and then it was not. The meticulous planning by a forensic science student, who binge-watched crime web series, to pass off the murder of her 32-year-old live-in partner as an accident was left threadbare by CCTV cameras and experts in her field of study.

Amrita Chauhan (21), her former boyfriend Sumit Kashyap (27) and their associate Sandeep Kumar (29) strangled Ramkesh Meena, a UPSC aspirant, to death earlier this month, and poured oil, ghee and wine on his body to ensure it burned completely. Meena had allegedly refused to delete her private photos and videos from his hard disk.

She then used her forensic science knowledge to stage the incident as an accidental fire, a senior police official said.

"The case was one of the perfectly planned murders, but it was solved even more perfectly by the Delhi Police through relentless investigation and scientific analysis," Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ravindra Yadav told PTI.

According to police, Chauhan had a fascination for crime web series and used to binge-watch those. She used her forensic science knowledge and the ideas he gained from the shows to plan the murder of Meena, they said.

Yadav said that at the onset, it appeared to be an accidental fire. "But no matter how perfect a plan is, criminals always leave some clue. Our team worked more perfectly and cracked the case," he said.

Police found a burnt body and an exploded gas cylinder in north Delhi's Gandhi Vihar flat. There were no clear signs of violence, and the scene appeared consistent with a cylinder blast.

"Amrita, being a forensic student, had used her knowledge to erase evidence. They had poured oil, ghee, and wine on the body to ensure it burned completely and left the cylinder valve open before igniting it," said the Special CP.

But a closer look by forensic experts revealed inconsistencies in the burn pattern, and that prompted a deeper investigation.

"We scanned several CCTV cameras around the area and found two masked men entering the building on the night of October 5, followed by Amrita and another man later. Moments after they left, the fire erupted," Yadav said.

The CCTV footage changed the direction of the probe.

It, combined with technical surveillance and call data records, proved that Amrita was nearby when the fire broke out. Teams tracked her movement and arrested her from Moradabad on October 18.

During interrogation, she broke down and confessed to killing Meena along with her associate, police said.

She told investigators that Meena had recorded intimate videos of her during their relationship and refused to delete them after they broke up. Enraged, she sought help from her ex-boyfriend Sumit, who agreed to take revenge. Together with Sandeep, they plotted the killing.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said, "The hard disk has been sent for forensic examination. Further investigation into the matter is underway."

Investigation has revealed that on the intervening night of October 5 and 6, all the accused went to Meena's flat. Sumit and Sandeep strangled him while Amrita poured oil, ghee, and wine on the body.

Sumit, who worked as an LPG distributor, opened the gas cylinder knob and placed it near Meena's head before lighting it.

The trio then locked the flat from inside by inserting Amrita's hand through a removed portion of the iron gate net and fled with Meena's hard disk, laptops, and personal belongings. About an hour later, the cylinder exploded, engulfing the body in flames.

"We have substantial evidence to prove the crime -- from CCTV footage to recovered items and digital traces," Yadav said.

Following Amrita's arrest, the police recovered a hard disk, a trolley bag and a shirt belonging to the deceased.

On October 21, co-accused Sumit was apprehended from Moradabad, and his mobile phone, used during the crime, was seized. Two days later, another accused, Sandeep, was also nabbed, the police said.