MP man, who killed partner, posted video online, still at large
BHOPAL/JABALPUR: A man who allegedly killed his 22-year-old girlfriend over “infidelity” in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district remains at large nearly a week after he posted a video on social media of her lying dead in a resort.
According to the police, Shilpa Jharia (22), a resident of the Kundam area of Jabalpur district, was found dead inside the resort’s room on November 8. The accused, who identified himself as Abhijeet Patidar, posted a video in which he is seen saying “bewafai nahi karne ka” (do not be unfaithful) inside the resort room with the woman lying in a pool of blood on the bed. Police said prima facie it was found that the two had stayed in the resort, where a room was booked using a fake Aadhaar card, for two days.
In the purported video posted on the Instagram account of the deceased, the man shows the face of the woman by lifting the bedsheet while telling her not to “betray” him, said Laxman Singh Jharia, in-charge, Tilwara police station.
A day later, the accused, a resident of Patan town in the district who claims to be into the business of oil and sugar, posted another video, in which he is heard admitting that he killed the woman after his business partner Jitendra Kumar from Patna told him that she was also in a relationship with him, the officer said.
“When Jabalpur police detained Jitendra Kumar, he said he did not know the girl,” said the police station in-charge. “Kumar, however, claimed that Patidar duped him of crores of rupees saying he was a businessman from Gujarat and deal with wholesale trader of food items.”
HT could not independently verify the veracity of the videos.
Another officer from Jabalpur police said Patidar was active on social media and on Tuesday, he changed Jharia’s Instagram account settings as private.
“Police will nab the accused soon,” said Jabalpur additional director general of police (ADGP) Umesh Joga. “He has duped many traders, including one from Jabalpur and another from Patna... He has been moving continuously for the past one week.”
Joga further said: “Police can’t share any other information at the moment as the accused is keeping eye on every movement and statement of police personnel through social media.”
During the investigation, it was found that a first information report (FIR) was registered against the accused at the Kotwali police station in Jabalpur weeks before the incident. He was booked for allegedly duping a trader of ₹8.5 lakh by taking food items worth ₹10 lakh from him by paying ₹1.5 lakh in advance, a senior officer said.