A horrifying crime in Kaprapur village under Mahudha taluka of Gujarat's Kheda district has revealed a premeditated murder initially disguised as a suicide. Investigators established that the deceased, who was 13 weeks pregnant, did not end her own life. Instead, she and her unborn child were killed by her husband and family members using agricultural fertilizer, preceded by an online search on how to dodge legal scrutiny.
Domestic Dispute Sparked by Delayed Medical Help
Details revealed during the police probe indicate that the victim, Arunaben Sodha, began experiencing intense stomach aches on the night of the incident. In considerable pain, she repeatedly urged her husband, Mitul Sodha, to take her to a clinic for medical treatment. Rather than addressing his wife's distress, Mitul stayed occupied on his smartphone and refused to move. Arunaben's frustration escalated because Mitul had accompanied his sister-in-law to a bank for financial errands just three to four days earlier, yet showed complete reluctance to assist his pregnant wife. Mutual suspicion had severely damaged their marriage over time, with Mitul questioning her fidelity while Arunaben suspected him of maintaining an illicit relationship.
Web Search to Evade Legal Consequences
As the domestic argument intensified, an exasperated Arunaben remarked that she would end her life. That statement prompted Mitul to devise a sinister scheme. He immediately turned to Google to search whether a husband is held legally responsible if his wife commits suicide. Seeking a loophole to shield himself from prosecution, he coordinated with his relatives to eliminate Arunaben. The conspirators retrieved a 500-milliliter pouch of liquid nano urea kept inside the residence to serve as the weapon.
Forced Ingestion of Agricultural Chemical
To execute the plan, Arunaben's mother-in-law and sister-in-law pinned her arms and legs to prevent any resistance. Mitul forced her onto a sofa and poured the entire contents of the urea pouch down her throat. To muffle her screams and stop her from calling for assistance, a piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth. The toxic liquid overwhelmed her system rapidly, and within 15 to 20 minutes, both Arunaben and her 13-week unborn fetus died from the chemical trauma.
Staged Hanging to Simulate Suicide
Following the killing, the family spent the remainder of the night orchestrating a cover-up. Mitul enlisted his brother Vipul to help hoist Arunaben's corpse using a nylon rope, suspending it from a window grill. The perpetrators assumed that an apparent hanging would mislead investigators into registering a routine case of suicide. However, forensic analysis dismantled their narrative completely.
Forensic Pathology Dismantles the Suicide Claim
Mahudha police initially received notification on the morning of October 17 stating that Arunaben had hanged herself. When officers arrived at the scene, relatives from her parental side immediately raised suspicions of foul play. The post-mortem examination, conducted by a panel of medical specialists, proved decisive. Pathologists noted that the ligature marks on her neck were inflicted post-mortem. Crucially, the autopsy detected heavy concentrations of chemical urea in her stomach, which had generated lethal ammonia gas, shutting down her respiratory tract and vital organs.
Police Arrest Two Conspirators While Two Remain at Large
Leveraging autopsy findings, technical surveillance, and digital footprints recovered by the cyber crime unit, Mahudha police arrested Mitul Sodha and his brother Vipul. Officers seized the nylon cord, a razor blade, and mobile phones from the premises. The victim's mother-in-law and sister-in-law absconded after the crime, and law enforcement teams are carrying out raids to locate them.
Precedent of Similar Brutality in Mansa
A comparable instance of violence against an expectant mother occurred earlier in Punjab's Mansa district. In that incident, an individual attacked his eight-month pregnant spouse with an edged weapon following doubts regarding her fidelity, resulting in the death of the mother and her unborn twins.
