Wife, lover arrested for murder after Instagram chats reveal chilling plot

 

By Sumesh Rajan | July 23, 2025

New Delhi, INDIA: A 36-year-old man's death in Delhi's Uttam Nagar, initially believed to be accidental electrocution, has been confirmed as a cold-blooded murder. The victim’s wife, Sushmita, and his paternal cousin, Rahul, have been arrested after incriminating Instagram messages between the two revealed a premeditated plan to kill him.

Karan Dev, a call centre employee working night shifts in Gurgaon, was found dead in his bed on the morning of July 13. His wife claimed that he had been accidentally electrocuted while charging his phone. The family, initially shocked, declined a post-mortem. However, Delhi Police, suspicious of the unnatural death of a young man, insisted on an autopsy, which was carried out at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

The case took a dramatic turn on July 16 when Karan's younger brother, Kunal Dev, handed over video evidence of a conversation he had discovered on Rahul’s Instagram account. The messages between Sushmita and Rahul laid bare a step-by-step plan to sedate and electrocute Karan, making it appear as an accident.

A Chilling Digital Trail

According to police sources, the chat revealed that Sushmita had mixed 12 to 15 sleeping pills into Karan's dinner on the night of July 12. When the sedatives didn’t take effect quickly, she grew anxious and texted Rahul:

“Check once how long it takes to die after taking the medicine. It’s been three hours. No vomiting, no potty, nothing. And no death yet either. What should we do?”

Rahul’s response was blunt:

“If you can’t figure anything out, give him a shock.”

As Karan lay semi-conscious, the accused continued exchanging messages, discussing how to administer more pills and how to electrocute him. At one point, Sushmita wrote:

“I can’t get his mouth open. I can pour water in, but I can’t give the medicine. You come here, maybe together we can manage to feed it to him.”

Finally, the pair allegedly stripped an electrical extension cord, exposed the wires, and used it to electrocute Karan by wrapping it around his hand and touching it to his chest before plugging it in.

The Cover-Up

After the act, Sushmita rushed to her in-laws’ house nearby, claiming Karan had been electrocuted by his phone’s charging cable. The family rushed him to a private hospital in Janakpuri, where doctors flagged unusual injuries — foam from the mouth, a chest wound, and suspicious signs inconsistent with accidental electrocution. This prompted the police to proceed with an autopsy despite strong objections from both Sushmita and Rahul.

Kunal, deeply disturbed by the sudden death, initially believed it to be a tragic accident — until fate intervened. While sitting under a mourning tent at his residence, a neighbour mistakenly handed him Rahul’s phone, thinking it was his. What he found changed everything.

The open Instagram chat between Sushmita and Rahul revealed their entire murder plot. Kunal immediately took screenshots, recorded a video of the chat, and handed the evidence to police, leading to the registration of a case under charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

A Secret Affair and an Explosive Motive

According to police, Sushmita and Rahul had been in a secret relationship for over a year and a half. Neighbours often spotted Rahul visiting Karan’s home late at night when the victim was at work. “We thought maybe she felt unsafe alone,” one neighbour said. “We never imagined anything sinister.”

Sushmita reportedly told police during interrogation that Karan had been abusive and had slapped her before the recent Karwa Chauth festival. She claimed he frequently demanded money and subjected her to regular verbal and physical abuse.

Both Sushmita and Rahul have confessed to the murder during police interrogation, officials confirmed.

“The case came to light when the victim’s brother brought forward digital evidence pointing to a planned killing. Based on his complaint, we registered an FIR and arrested both accused. Further investigations are underway,” said DCP (Dwarka) Ankit Singh.

The crime has sent shockwaves through the Uttam Nagar community, where residents now look back at the signs they missed — a reminder of how easily domestic violence and betrayal can brew unnoticed behind closed doors