In a chilling revelation in the murder case of 32-year-old Pooja, a woman from Uttarakhand working in a spa centre in Gurugram, police have uncovered a tale of deceit, betrayal, and gruesome violence. Pooja, a mother of two and divorcee, was living in a live-in relationship with a man who introduced himself as ‘Ajit’ but turned out to be a Muslim. Months later, she was found murdered—her headless torso dumped in a drain near the Nepal border in Uttarakhand, and her severed head still missing.
The accused, identified as Mushtaq Ahmed (25), a native of Gaurikheda, Sitarganj, Uttarakhand, was arrested recently after evading police for over five months. During interrogation, Mushtaq confessed that he befriended Pooja by posing as a Hindu man named Ajit, gained her trust, staged a marriage to legitimise their relationship, and later murdered her on November 16, 2024.
Deceit and Manipulation: How it all began
According to police sources, Mushtaq first met Pooja in 2022 during a bus journey from Rudrapur to Gurugram. Both hailed from Uttarakhand, which helped them bond quickly. Pooja was unaware of Mushtaq’s real identity, as he had introduced himself under a Hindu alias. Their relationship strengthened when Pooja’s mother fell ill, and she travelled multiple times to Uttarakhand in Mushtaq’s taxi.
Eventually, the two decided to live together. To avoid social complications, they got married in September 2024, though the marriage was never legally registered. Just a month later, Mushtaq returned to his hometown and secretly married a Muslim woman from his community.
When Pooja discovered the betrayal, she was devastated. She confronted him, asking, “If you already married me, why did you marry another woman in your community?” She even travelled to Sitarganj, created a ruckus at Mushtaq’s house, and filed a complaint with the local police.
Due to the escalating tension, Mushtaq’s family threw both of them out of their home. The couple then moved back to Gurugram, where frequent arguments followed.
The Murder: Lured to Uttarakhand, Then Beheaded
According to Mushtaq’s statement to the police, the idea of murder was pre-planned. On November 15, 2024, he took Pooja to his sister’s house in Khatima, Uttarakhand, under the pretext of a short vacation. The next day, he took her to a secluded spot near Nadanna Canal in Udham Singh Nagar district, close to a place known as Kali Pulia—a deserted area with little foot traffic.
There, while pretending to have a conversation, he attacked Pooja from behind with a sharp knife, slitting her throat. She screamed for help and begged for her life with folded hands, according to his confession. Despite her pleas, he continued stabbing her neck until her head was completely severed.
Mushtaq then wrapped her torso in a bedsheet, dumped it in a nearby drain, and placed her head in a plastic bag, which he threw into a flowing canal—believing this would ensure her body would never be identified.
Police Investigation: Clues, Pursuit, and Arrest
The case came to light when Pooja’s sister, Poornima, who lives in Uttarakhand, became suspicious after Pooja stopped reporting to her spa job after November 15. Repeated calls to Pooja went unanswered. After failing to trace her, Poornima travelled to Gurugram on December 19, 2024, and lodged a missing complaint at Sector-5 police station.
Following this, police pulled Pooja’s call records and found frequent communication with one number—belonging to Mushtaq Ahmed. Given his Uttarakhand connection, the police tracked him to Sitarganj, where they also learned that he and Pooja had been thrown out of the house after their live-in relationship was exposed.
Further investigation revealed that Mushtaq used to operate a puncture repair shop in Kutri village and worked as a taxi driver between Sitarganj and Khatima. He had been constantly moving between Uttarakhand and Gurugram, which helped him avoid police for more than five and a half months.
Eventually, acting on a tip-off from an informant, Gurugram police arrested Mushtaq from Gaurikheda, Sitarganj.
Discovery of the Headless Torso
On April 30, 2025, Uttarakhand Police, along with their counterparts from Gurugram, recovered a headless, decomposed female body wrapped in a bedsheet near the Kali Pulia underpass in Khatima, close to the Nepal border.
Pooja’s brother, Ashish Vishwas, was called for identification. He broke down in tears upon recognising the dupatta on the torso, the same one Pooja had worn when she tied a rakhi on him during Raksha Bandhan. The body was so decomposed that facial identification was impossible. The police have sent the body to Haldwani Medical College for DNA testing.
Despite extensive searches on April 30 and May 1, the severed head has not been found.
Police Action and Legal Proceedings
Gurugram police have now taken Mushtaq Ahmed into custody and secured a 6-day remand for further investigation. A joint search operation with Uttarakhand Police is underway to recover the missing head, which will be critical to establishing identity in court and ensuring conviction.
Inspector from Sector-5 police station stated, “The missing head is a key piece of evidence for conclusive identification. It could be crucial in securing Mushtaq’s conviction.”
Mushtaq now faces charges of murder, destruction of evidence, and possibly sections related to deception and bigamy, given the fake marriage and dual relationships.
Brief Timeline of Events:
2022: Mushtaq meets Pooja in a bus from Rudrapur to Gurugram, posing as ‘Ajit’.
September 2024: They perform a fake marriage ceremony.
October 2024: Mushtaq secretly marries a Muslim woman from his community in Sitarganj.
November 15, 2024: Takes Pooja to his sister’s home in Khatima.
November 16, 2024: Murders Pooja near Nadanna Canal.
December 19, 2024: Pooja’s sister files a missing complaint in Gurugram.
April 30, 2025: Police recover the headless body.
May 2025: Mushtaq was arrested in Sitarganj.
This brutal case has once again raised concerns about the vulnerabilities of Hindu women in live-in relationships with Muslim men posing as Hindus, especially when trust is built on lies and false identities. Yet another Shraddha Walker-like murder has raised similar questions as to how long this will continue and the Hindu families will keep loosing their sisters and daughters like this.
