A Gujarat man who approached the Ahmedabad City Crime Branch alleging that his 85-year-old grandmother-in-law had been murdered in Surat district has himself allegedly confessed to three killings carried out in 2022, police said on Wednesday, 30 September. The accused, identified as Madhavdas Bhaktiram Sadhu, reportedly admitted to providing false information to implicate his estranged wife and a cousin before eventually disclosing his own alleged role in the deaths.

How the Case Unravelled

Madhavdas had initially approached the Crime Branch alleging that Shantaben Gambhirbhai Vasava, a resident of Kabristan Faliya in Kosamba, Mangrol taluka of Surat district, had been murdered four to five years ago by his wife, Urmila alias Jaya, and his cousin, Afzal alias Poto Diwan, and that her body had been buried under cement inside a house. Acting on the tip, investigators brought Afzal in for questioning — only to find no evidence linking him to the alleged crime.

The absence of any corroborating evidence against Afzal prompted a closer look at Madhavdas himself. Under sustained interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he had fabricated the accusation against both his wife and his cousin. ACP (Crime Branch) Bharat Patel confirmed that the investigation shifted decisively toward Madhavdas once Afzal's questioning failed to establish any involvement.

Three Alleged Victims, One Alleged Motive

According to the Crime Branch, Madhavdas subsequently confessed that he and Urmila had together allegedly killed three women in 2022, each death concealed as a natural or illness-related passing.

The first alleged victim was Shantaben, 85. Police allege that on the night of 7 October 2022, Madhavdas and Urmila smothered her with a pillow while she slept on a cot. They allegedly placed her body in a drum, added three bags of cement and water, and sealed it inside the house. Roughly three-and-a-half months later, they allegedly cut open the drum and buried the remains — along with the cement block — in a pit dug in the verandah. Relatives were reportedly told, on different occasions, that Shantaben had died of COVID at Walthera or had died in Kosamba. The alleged motive, according to investigators, was to take possession of her property and acquire gold, silver jewellery, and cash.

The second alleged victim was Madhavdas' own mother, 65-year-old Manjulaben Bhaktiram Sadhu, who had suffered paralysis around 2021 and was bedridden with sores on her body. Police allege that on the night of 19 July 2022, the couple smothered Manjulaben with a pillow. Relatives were told she had died of paralysis; her last rites were performed at the Chhakli Talav crematorium in Dholka.

The third alleged victim was Bharati alias Bhagwati, Urmila's sister, who was suffering from tuberculosis and lived with Shantaben in Kosamba after her husband died. Police allege that on 25 February 2022, Madhavdas and Urmila smothered her with a pillow at night and later told others she had died of tuberculosis before arranging her burial in Kosamba.

'Two of the victims were elderly, and the third was suffering from tuberculosis. The accused allegedly took advantage of these circumstances and portrayed the deaths as resulting from illness,' ACP Patel said.

Why Madhavdas Allegedly Filed the False Complaint

Investigators say Madhavdas' wife had been living separately for around nine months after leaving with their son and taking gold, silver jewellery, and cash. He allegedly suspected she was building an independent life and, according to police, sought revenge by implicating both Urmila and Afzal in a murder complaint. Police described Madhavdas as someone not engaged in regular work who frequently sought money from various sources.

Forensic Examination Under Way

After Madhavdas disclosed the burial location, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch contacted the Surat Rural Police. Joint teams from both units reached the house in Kosamba and excavated the site. Human remains were recovered from the location. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team is conducting further examination, and DNA matching with relatives is being undertaken to confirm the identity of the remains.

'After excavation at the location identified by Madhavdas, human remains were recovered. The FSL team is carrying out further procedures, and DNA matching with relatives is also being undertaken,' ACP Patel confirmed.

Urmila, who is not currently living with Madhavdas, has not yet been taken into custody; local police are expected to take action against her. The investigation into all three alleged killings, the recovered remains, and the forensic evidence remains ongoing.