In a chilling incident echoing the Saurabh murder case in Meerut, a man who had recently returned from Dubai was murdered by his wife and her lover in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria district. The accused chopped the body into two pieces, stuffed it in a trolley bag, and dumped it 55 kilometers away from their home.
The shocking murder came to light on Sunday (April 20) morning when a local farmer in Tarakulwa area of Deoria found a suspicious trolley bag in his field. Upon alerting the police, a team led by ASP Arvind Verma, along with forensic experts and a dog squad, reached the spot. When they opened the bag, they discovered a male body cut into two parts. The upper half, from head to waist, was wrapped in plastic, and the lower half was packed in a sack.
Despite checking the entire bag, police couldn’t immediately identify the victim. However, a key clue emerged: the airport barcode tag still attached to the trolley bag. This led police to reach out to airport authorities, who confirmed that the bag belonged to 38-year-old Naushad Ahmad, son of Mannu Ahmad, a resident of Bhatauli village under Mail police station limits.
Naushad had returned from Dubai just 10 days prior, where he worked as a driver. According to police sources, the very bag used to dispose of his body was the one he had brought from Dubai, a detail that ultimately led to his identification.
The police traced the bag back to his home and reached Bhatauli village. His wife, Razia, initially attempted to mislead investigators, claiming her husband had gone out the previous night and had not returned. She even tried to stage grief, crying loudly in front of officers.
However, when police searched the house, the truth began to unravel. Bloodstains were found in several places, and a second suitcase bearing blood was also recovered. On further interrogation, Razia broke down and confessed to the crime.
According to sources, Razia revealed that she was in a relationship with her own nephew, Rumaan. Her husband had discovered their affair and had become an obstacle. The two plotted to eliminate him. On Saturday (April 19) night, Razia allegedly drugged Naushad. Once he was unconscious, she called Rumaan, and together they strangled him to death.
To prevent identification, they used a sharp weapon to mutilate the body. Initially, they tried to fit the corpse into a smaller suitcase but failed. Eventually, they decided to cut the body into two parts and packed it in a larger suitcase.
They then drove about 55 kilometers away to Tarakulwa village to dispose of the suitcase. Police believe Rumaan, who works as a truck driver, played a key role in transporting the body. His exact route and method of disposal are still under investigation. Rumaan is currently absconding.
At the time of the murder, only Naushad’s six-year-old daughter Atifa and his elderly father were present in the house. Razia had put the child to sleep in one room and locked it from outside. The elderly father, who lives in a separate section of the house, remained unaware of the crime.
A foreign SIM card was also found near the disposed suitcase, further linking the evidence back to Naushad.
The murder has sent shockwaves through the village. Locals recall Naushad as a well-mannered and gentle man.
Last year, during a previous visit from Dubai, he had learned of his wife’s affair. A village panchayat had been held, wherein it was decided that Razia would cut off ties with Rumaan. However, once Naushad left for Dubai again, the illicit relationship resumed.
“He forgave her once. But she destroyed the whole family,” said Naushad’s grieving father Mannu Ahmad. “She deserves nothing less than the death penalty.”
This incident bears eerie similarities to the high-profile Saurabh murder case in Meerut. On the night of March 3, Muskan Rastogi murdered her husband Saurabh Kumar Rajput, an officer in the Merchant Navy, with the help of her boyfriend Sahil Shukla alias Mohit. After drugging him, Muskan stabbed him in the chest while he slept. The body was then dismembered and stuffed into a plastic drum filled with cement slurry to dispose of the remains.
Muskan had gone to Shimla-Manali and kept posting pictures on Instagram for 13 days to mislead family and friends into believing the couple was on vacation. The crime came to light only when Saurabh’s younger brother Rahul visited their house and discovered a foul smell and saw Sahil with Muskan.
