Pune man kills wife in ‘Drishyam-inspired’ murder, burns body to erase evidence; confesses during interrogation
Investigators revealed that accused Sammer had been involved in an extramarital affair with another woman
PTC Web Desk: In a gruesome case reminiscent of the Bollywood thriller 'Drishyam', the Maharashtra Police have arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly murdering his wife and meticulously destroying all evidence to evade detection. The accused, identified as Sammer Punjabrao Jadhav, was apprehended by the Pune police on Saturday after he confessed to the crime, admitting that he was “influenced by the movie” while planning the act.
According to police officials, Jadhav, a resident of Swami Sankul Apartment near the Talathi office in Shivane, ran an automobile garage and held a diploma in automobile engineering. His wife, Anjali Sammer Jadhav (38), was employed as a teacher at a private school.
Investigators revealed that Sammer had been involved in an extramarital affair with another woman. To create misunderstandings and emotional distress, he allegedly sent his wife messages from a friend’s mobile phone, pretending to be her secret admirer, in an attempt to make her appear unfaithful.
The police said the murder was executed on October 26. That day, the couple went on a drive to Mariaai Ghat near Khed Shivapur. On their return journey, Sammer diverted the car to a godown he had rented in Gogalwadi Phata, Shindewadi, for Rs 18,000 per month. There, while they were sharing a meal, he allegedly strangled Anjali to death.
To destroy evidence, the accused had already constructed a large iron box and stored firewood at the location. After the killing, he placed Anjali’s body inside the box, set it ablaze, and later dumped the ashes in a nearby riverbed. He even scraped and cleaned the iron box to remove all traces of the crime.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sambhaji Kadam said, “The accused had planned every detail carefully. He rented the godown in advance, made the iron box there, and collected firewood to burn the body.”
A ‘Drishyam-style’ cover-up
Much like the lead character in 'Drishyam', who meticulously conceals a murder, Sammer filed a missing person complaint two days after the killing at Warje-Malwadi Police Station, pretending to be a distressed husband. He repeatedly visited the police station to follow up on the case, maintaining an appearance of innocence.
Although the investigation was later transferred to Rajgad Police Station, the Warje-Malwadi team continued probing the case due to its suspicious nature. During the inquiry, inconsistencies in Sammer’s statements and CCTV footage raised red flags.
Senior Inspector Vishvjeet Kinegade confirmed, “We found discrepancies in the information shared by the accused after analysing CCTV footage and conducting technical surveillance. Upon interrogation, he broke down and confessed to the crime.”
The police are now verifying whether anyone else was involved in helping Sammer execute or conceal the murder.