Pune: In a shocking case mirroring a Bollywood thriller, a 42-year-old man from Pune allegedly killed his wife and used ideas from the movie Drishyam to conceal the crime and mislead police.
The accused, Samir Punjabrao Jadhav, a resident of Shivane, has confessed to murdering his wife Anjali Jadhav on October 26. Police said he suspected her of having an affair and planned the crime over a month, studying scenes from Drishyam multiple times to figure out how to destroy evidence and create a false trail.
Investigators revealed that Jadhav rented a warehouse for ₹18,000 a month, stocked wood and petrol, and built a furnace inside. On the day of the crime, he took Anjali on a drive to Mariyai Ghat under the pretext of having snacks. He then lured her to the warehouse, strangled her, doused the body with petrol, set it ablaze in the furnace, and later disposed of the remains in a nearby river.
Two days later, Jadhav lodged a missing person complaint at the Warje police station, claiming his wife had gone missing. He visited the police station daily, asking for updates and feigning concern. However, inconsistencies in his statements and suspicious behaviour raised doubts among investigators.
After sustained questioning, he confessed to the murder, admitting that he had taken cues from Drishyam to erase all evidence and misdirect police inquiries.
A case has been registered under sections BNS 103 (murder) and BNS 238 (destruction of evidence). Police are now examining his mobile phone data, WhatsApp chats, and financial records related to the warehouse rental and fuel purchase.
Officials said the crime was “coldly calculated” and the accused “tried to replicate a film plot in real life,” leaving the local community in shock.
