In a horrifying crime that has stunned residents of Mumbai’s Nalasopara East, a man who had been missing for over two weeks was discovered buried under the floor of his own house. Police believe the murder was carried out by his wife and her lover, who have been absconding along with the couple’s young son.

Vijay Chavan Found Dead After 15 Days

The deceased, Vijay Chavan, 35, worked as a home renovation contractor and lived in the Gangdipada area with his wife Chaman alias Gudiya Devi and their seven-year-old son. His body was found on Monday evening after his relatives, unable to reach him for over 15 days, grew suspicious and broke into his locked home.

According to police, the victim had received Rs 6 lakh from a matured insurance policy roughly a month prior and already had a few lakh rupees saved in his account. He was reportedly planning to purchase a new home and had transferred ownership of his current residence to his wife’s name shortly before his disappearance.

Over the past two weeks, Vijay’s brothers had made repeated attempts to reach him, but all calls were answered by his wife, who offered vague explanations—saying he was working in various Mumbai suburbs such as Borivali, Kandivali, or Malad.

However, on July 19, Chaman and her son were seen leaving their residence. CCTV footage captured her around noon buying snacks from a local vendor, after which she vanished. Concerned family members visited the home once again and, this time, noticed a foul smell near an area where the floor tiles looked recently replaced.

Victim’s Brother Informed Police

Akhilesh Chavan, the victim’s brother, informed police after observing the suspiciously new tiles and a pile of soil near the house. When authorities began digging, they unearthed a decomposed body wrapped in a black plastic bag roughly four feet below the surface. The remains were later identified as Vijay’s by his family based on the clothes.

Investigations revealed that Chaman had a pit dug inside the house about 12 days earlier, measuring approximately 3.5 feet deep and six feet long. A couple of days later, she paid a tiler Rs 1,200 to cover the pit with tiles, citing drainage repairs as the reason. Neighbours were told that bathroom plumbing work was being done.

Pelhar Police, under the direction of Senior Inspector Jitendra Vankoti, confirmed that the wife and her suspected partner, Monu Vishwakarma—a 22-year-old neighbor and college student—are the prime suspects. “Around 7 pm, while digging, we found a large black plastic bag… the body inside had completely decomposed. We are in the process of registering an FIR against the wife and the other suspect,” Vankoti said.

Monu was reportedly involved in a romantic relationship with Chaman. Sources stated that Monu’s mother had once discovered their secret affair, confiscated his phone, and restricted him from college for two days. However, she later returned the phone, and the contact allegedly resumed.

Financial Greed Suspected in Nalasopara Murder

Financial greed is believed to be a key motive. Police uncovered evidence that Chaman had been accessing Vijay’s bank account after his disappearance. Using OTPs generated from his mobile phone, she withdrew money from various ATMs, although the total amount is yet to be confirmed.

The case bears similarities to crime thrillers and has drawn comparisons to the plot of the film Drishyam. Residents have expressed shock over the deliberate nature of the crime and the steps taken to conceal the murder.

Initially, family members claim that local police were reluctant to file a missing person report. “We suspected foul play and informed the Pelhar police, but they initially refused to register a missing person’s complaint. It was only after we approached a local activist and some politicians that the police finally registered the complaint,” said Vijay’s uncle, Mohan Chavan.

Authorities have intensified their search for both Chaman and Monu, who have not been seen since July 19. The case remains under investigation, and police urge anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects to come forward.