In a horrifying incident, a 56-year-old Dalit man was allegedly burnt alive in Patan district by a young married woman and her lover in a criminal attempt to fake her death and escape her marriage.
The incident, initially mistaken for a caste-based hate crime, took a shocking turn after police investigations uncovered a sinister plot driven by an illicit affair.
In the wee hours of Wednesday, the Police Police caught 22-year-old Geeta and her lover Bharat Lubha Ahir at Palanpur railway station in Banaskantha district. The couple was found with train tickets to Jodhpur, Rajasthan, as they attempted to flee after allegedly murdering Harji Debha Solanki, a casual labourer from Vauva village.
The case first came to light on May 27 morning when a half-burnt body was found near Sutaroki Talavadi in Jakhotra village, 15 km northwest of Santalpur town in Patan district.
The body—dressed in an orange embroidered blouse, a blue ghaghra, and anklets. It led locals to initially believe it belonged to a woman.
The the man who discovered the body, Suresh Genga Bhima Ahir, reported that his 22-year-old wife Geeta had gone missing the previous night around 11 pm. The clothing on the body appeared to be hers, raising further suspicions.
Despite the initial confusion, the police soon realized the body was that of a man. An FIR was filed at the Santalpur police station on May 28 based on a complaint by Pancha Debha Solanki, who identified the victim as his younger brother, Harji Debha Solanki.
Postmortem revealed the cause of the death as severe burn injuries.
Investigations revealed that Geeta, who had fallen in love with Bharat just three to four months prior, allegedly conspired with him to fake her death using a male body dressed in her clothes. The idea was to escape and lead a new life.
Patan Superintendent of Police VK Nayi told media persons that Bharat scouted for a vulnerable victim across several villages, including Barara, Datrana, Santalpur and Madhutra, before settling on Harji Solanki, who was elderly and frail. Nayi added, “Bharat tried to strangle him, then tied his limp body to his own on his relative’s bike and drove from Vauva village to Jakhotra village where he hid the body till night fall.”
Witnesses have reportedly told the police they had seen Bharat with the body, and when questioned, he claimed Solanki was ill and needed medical help. Later that night, Geeta joined Bharat. Together, they dressed the still-alive Solanki in her clothes, doused him in petrol, and set him on fire near her marital home.
Postmortem findings confirmed that Solanki was still alive when he was set on fire. Petrol pump staff later confirmed that Geeta had filled a can with petrol, which, according to the police, was used in the crime.
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