A missing husband, a story of abandonment, and about a year of unanswered questions have culminated in a chilling murder case that has shocked Navi Mumbai. Rabale MIDC Police have arrested a woman and her alleged lover for the murder of her husband, a crime investigators say was carefully planned, executed and concealed for almost 11 months.
The accused were Sunita Kushwaha (40) and Rahul Dashrath Prajapati (30). They are suspected of killing Sunita's husband, Baliram Suryanath Kushwaha, on the night of August 9, 2025, and murdering him and throwing away the body in Gavli Dev forest in order to destroy evidence.
The motive behind the crime was Baliram’s repeated objections to his wife’s alleged extramarital relationship with Rahul, police said. And as tensions between the family grew, investigators think the two decided to eliminate him.
Police said the accused allegedly ensured Baliram's two children were not at home on the night of the crime by sending them to stay with their aunt. That, investigators believe, was done to avoid any witnesses.
On the night of the alleged murder, Baliram was attacked while he was asleep. Police say he was first strangled and then slit to ensure his death. Police also say that the accused dismembered the body inside Yadav Nagar, Airoli, packed the remains into sacks and bedsheets, transported them in Rahul's autorickshaw, and disposed of them in various places in Gavli Dev forest.
After the incident, Sunita attempted to cover up the crime by telling relatives and neighbours that Baliram had gone missing. She later rented out the family home in Airoli, shifted to Ghansoli with her children and lived life as if her husband had disappeared voluntarily.
The case remained unsolved for several months until Baliram’s brother came from their native village and challenged the family’s version of events. He refused to believe that Baliram had simply left his family without telling anyone, and kept pressing for answers.
His persistence eventually led to a missing person complaint being registered at Rabale MIDC Police Station in April 2026, nearly eight months after the alleged murder. Investigators then got back to the facts surrounding Baliram’s disappearance.
Police found many suspicious developments in the investigation. Sunita and Rahul had changed their mobile phones and SIM cards shortly after Baliram went missing, the officials said. Call Detail Records (CDRs) were also examined and alleged to show the two had been in contact using multiple phone numbers.
Police also explained that inconsistencies were revealed during Sunita's questioning. The investigators say that both accused confessed to the crime and revealed how Baliram’s body had been disposed of after separate interrogations.
There is a local court which remanded both suspects to police custody for seven days to investigate.
Police also have launched a hunt in the Gavli Dev forest to find Baliram’s skeletal remains. It is an extremely challenging job because nearly 11 months have passed since the body parts were allegedly dumped, making recovery and forensic examination far more difficult.
The investigation continues and the police are gathering forensic and circumstantial evidence to enhance the case.
