Palghar Murder Shocker: Woman Allegedly Asked Victim’s Brother to Tile Over Husband’s Grave

As disturbing new details continue to emerge in the murder of a Palghar man allegedly killed by his wife and her lover, a fresh revelation has added a chilling twist to the case. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the accused woman reportedly requested her brother-in-law to install new floor tiles — unwittingly over the grave of his own brother.

Ajay Chouhan, 34, a daily wage labourer and the eldest of four siblings, told investigators that he was unaware he was helping conceal his brother’s remains. He said Chaman Devi (28), the victim's wife, had approached him under the pretext of fixing tiles in their home in Nallasopara’s Gangnipada locality. She claimed the tiles had been removed to repair a pipeline.

“I didn’t know I was burying my own brother,” Ajay told reporters.

Police arrested Chaman Devi and her alleged lover, Monu Sharma (20), from Pune on the evening of July 22 — a day after Vijay Chouhan’s decomposed body was exhumed from beneath the flooring of his residence. Investigators believe the murder took place nearly two weeks prior, and the body was secretly buried under new tiles inside the house.

The crime came to light when Vijay’s brothers visited the residence and were alarmed by a strong foul odour emanating from the floor. Neighbours informed them that Vijay had not been seen since July 10, and Chaman Devi had reportedly gone missing on July 19.

Acting on the family’s concerns, a police team arrived at the residence and exhumed the body in the presence of medical officers, forensic specialists, and the local tehsildar.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III, Virar), Suachas Bawche, confirmed that the accused were neighbours and were allegedly in a relationship. “They wanted to get married but considered Vijay Chouhan an obstacle. So they conspired to eliminate him,” Bawche stated.

According to Ajay, Chaman Devi had made repeated requests for him to repair the flooring, but he was only able to attend to the work on July 19 — two days before the body was discovered. When he inquired about Vijay’s absence, she allegedly claimed that her husband had bought a new phone and had angrily left for his workplace in Kandivali. However, Ajay later learned that Vijay had quit his job over a week earlier.

Both accused have been remanded to police custody by a Palghar court until July 30. They have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 103 (murder), 238 (destruction of evidence), and 3(5) (common intention). Police have stated that further investigation is underway.