A murder case involving a 39-year-old dietitian came to light in Surat on Sunday after police detained her husband for allegedly killing her on April 20 and hiding her body in a cement-filled wooden box, The Times of India reported.
The accused, Vishal Salvi, was traced to a rural area on the outskirts of the city. Police said he allegedly killed his wife, Shilpa, and concealed her body at his old residence in Salabatpura. He later filed a missing persons complaint at the Godadara police station.
Shilpa held an MSc degree in food and nutrition and worked as a dietitian at SMIMER Medical College and Hospital. The couple has two children aged 13 and 8.
The case progressed on Saturday after the couple's son sent a letter to a relative via WhatsApp. The letter, allegedly written by Vishal Salvi, contained a confession. In the letter, he stated that the early years of the marriage were peaceful, but ongoing domestic issues later led to the incident. He also mentioned that he had hidden Shilpa's body at his old house in Kagji Chawl.
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According to investigators, Vishal allegedly killed his wife following a domestic quarrel. Preliminary findings indicate that the dispute may have been linked to his prolonged unemployment.
After the incident, Vishal allegedly attempted to mislead both family members and the police. He told relatives that he had dropped Shilpa at SMIMER Hospital on April 20 and that she had not returned. He also lodged a missing complaint at the Godadara police station.
In his complaint, Shilpa's father, Pradip Kosta, stated that the couple got married in November 2010. Vishal had earlier worked in the diamond industry but had been unemployed for the past couple of years. The couple reportedly had frequent quarrels, and Kosta had travelled from Chhattisgarh several times to mediate.
Kosta said he tried calling Shilpa on April 21, but her phone was switched off. When he contacted Vishal, he was told that Shilpa had gone to the hospital and had not returned.
Suspecting something was wrong, Kosta came to Surat and questioned his son-in-law. As doubts increased, the family approached the police, where Vishal filed the missing complaint on the same day.
Salabatpura police inspector R A Jadeja told TOI, "based on the letter, police reached the first floor of the old house mentioned by the accused and found a body inside a wooden box. Cement had been poured over it in an attempt to conceal it. As the incident was five days old, the body was decomposed."
Police said that while a domestic quarrel is suspected to be the primary reason, the exact motive is still under investigation. Officers are also examining whether anyone else was involved in the crime or in the attempt to conceal it.
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