Murder most foul: Heinous crimes that shook India

A Bengaluru CEO, Suchana Seth, recently killed her 4-year-old son and was caught trying to move his body from Goa to Karnataka in a taxi.

Suchana Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru startup, was arrested by Goa police from Karnataka's Chitradurga on January 8 for killing her 4-year-old son and travelling to Karnataka with his body stuffed in a bag.

The mother's violent act toward her own child has shocked many. Here's a look at some crimes that shook India to its core.

Transsexual burns childhood friend alive in Tamil Nadu

On Christmas day, last year, 27-year-old Vetrimaran (born as Pandi Maheswari), burned his childhood friend, R Nandhini alive, suspecting that Nandhini was not romantically interested in him.

The incident took place in Chennai's Thazhambur, on Nandhini's birthday eve.

Vetrimaran, who underwent a sex reassignment surgery to marry Nandhini, took her out on the pretext of a birthday surprise. Vetrimaran then blindfolded Nandhini, tied her with a chain and slashed her wrist using a blade before setting her ablaze.

Locals heard her screams and rushed her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Vetrimaran confessed to the crime during police interrogation.

Shraddha Walkar murder case

Shraddha Walkar (27) was murdered by her live-in boyfriend Aaftab Poonawala on May 18, 2022, in Delhi.

Aaftab strangled Shraddha over an arguement and dismembered her body into 35 pieces using different kinds of weapons, which he disposed off individually in the Chhatarpur forest. He stored her body parts in a 300-litre fridge.

Poonawala was held on November 12 by Delhi police and confessed to the killing during interrogation. The case came to light after about six months, when Shraddha's father filed a missing person's complaint. He demanded capital punishment for Aaftab and a thorough probe against the Poonawala family.

Hyderabad doctor raped, set ablaze

A 26-yr-old veterinary doctor in Telangana was sexually assaulted, smothered and set ablaze. According to police reports, the victim after parking her two-wheeler, hired a taxi and went to a dermatologist's office.

The four accused noticed her while parking and deflated her vehicle's tire in her absence. Upon returning the victim was offered help by the accused who then ambushed her.

Three of the accused pushed her into the nearby bushes, poured whiskey into her mouth to put an end to her screams for help, and sexually assaulted her until the victim bled and lost consciousness.

When she regained consciousness, she was smothered and her corpse was carried for 27 km. The victim's body was wrapped up in a blanket and set ablaze at 2.30 am on the Hyderabad Outer Ring Road under a bridge using furl.

The four accused were killed in a police encounter, at 3.30 am on December 6, 2019.

Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj murder case

Aarushi Talwar (13) was found dead on May 16, 2008, in her bedroom with her throat slit and her head bludgeoned. The Talwar family's live-in servant Hemraj was seen as the prime suspect until his corpse was found in a pool of blood with the same injury marks, a day later.

Police suspected the murders to be a case of honour killing and eyed Aarushi's parents with suspicion. However, no such evidence or forensics were found to back this.

Lie detector tests and narco tests were conducted on Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar (Aarushi's parents).

The Talwars initially got life imprisonment, but the couple appealed to the Allahabad High Court which acquitted them citing 'insufficient evidence' in the CBI probe.

Nithari serial killings case

The Nithari killings case came to light after the disappearance of several children from Nithari village in Noida and when 8 skeletal remains of kids were found from the drain of Moninder Singh Pandher's house on December 29.

Investigations pointed to Moninder and his domestic help Surinder Koli who were arrested.

After 60 days of police custody, Koli confessed to luring and murdering the victims. The confession included necrophilia, cannibalism and dismembering of the corpses. The duo was convicted of rape and murder but were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Tandoor murder case

Naina Sahni, wife of Sushil Sharma, was shot by her husband over suspicion of an extramarital affair on July 2, 1995. Her body was chopped into pieces and stuffed into a tandoor which was managed by Sharma's friend.

Smoke from the tandoor attracted police who were patrolling in the area. Sharma was arrested after Naina's half-burnt body parts were found.

He was awarded the death sentence, but the Supreme Court commuted it to life imprisonment. Sharma was released from prison after 23 years.

Sheena bora murder case

Sheena Bora (24) was allegedly strangled in a car by Indrani Mukherjee, her then-driver Shyamvar Rai, and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012.

Sheena's body was later found burnt in a forest in Raigad district.

Financial disputes as well as Indrani's opposition to Sheena's relationship was the motive for the killing.

The crime came to light 3 years later when Shyamvar was arrested in another case and turned approver in the Sheena Bora murder case which led to Indrani's arrest.

The CBI convicted Indrani but the Supreme Court granted her bail citing that she had already been in custody for six-and-a-half years.

Sanjay & Geeta Chopra murder case

Siblings Geeta Chopra (16) and Sanjay Chopra (14) were kidnapped and murdered in 1978 in New Delhi while they were on their way to the All India Radio (AIR) office to participate in a programme called 'Yuvavani'.

Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) were convicted for the crime.

They abducted the siblings for ransom, on the pretext of giving them a ride to their destination, but later killed them upon knowing that their father was a naval officer.

They first killed Sanjay, then raped and killed Geeta.

Ranga and Billa were sentenced to death and were executed on January 31, 1982.

The body of the siblings were found in advanced stage of decomposition and so the evidence of sexual assault could not be gathered. However, forensic evidence such as hair, fingerprints, and bloodstains were found.

The siblings were awarded the Kirti Chakra on April 5, 1981, and two bravery awards 'Sanjay Chopra Award' and 'Geeta Chopra Award' were instituted in their honour.

Delhi biryani murder case

A video of a 16-year-old boy stabbing another boy in Delhi's Welcome colony went viral on social media. The allegedly drunk 16-yr-old stabbed the victim 55 times with a knife.

According to the Delhi police the victim was attacked over money for biryani. The perpetrator had asked money from the teen who refused.

The accused strangled the victim and killed him by stabbing him in the face, neck and below the eyes.

CCTV footage showed that the perpetrator, in an inebriated state, dancing around the dead body.

He was arrested immediately by the Delhi police.