Lover’s mistake unravels murder plot: Wife gave 'supari' to kill criminal husband, phone trail cracked case

 

By Sumesh Rajan | August 5, 2025

New Delhi, INDIA: In a chilling tale of betrayal, deception, and digital oversight, Delhi Police have solved a year-old “blind” murder case with the arrest of a woman and her lover, who allegedly orchestrated the killing of her husband, a proclaimed criminal offender, in July 2024. The breakthrough came after police tracked the victim’s mobile phone — which his wife had asked her lover to destroy but he kept and used instead.

The victim, Pritam Prakash (42), had a long history of criminal offences including robbery, kidnapping, and illegal possession of firearms. He had been missing since July 5, 2024. His decomposed body was recovered days later from a canal in Haryana’s Sonepat, but remained unidentified — until a digital sweep revealed that his phone was still active in the same district.

The Plot

Police say Pritam’s wife, Soniya (34), married him when she was just 16, against her family’s wishes. The couple had three children and lived in Delhi’s Alipur. Over the years, Pritam’s drug addiction and violent behaviour allegedly turned Soniya’s life into a nightmare.

In 2023, Soniya met Rohit (28), a cab driver with a criminal past, on social media. The two began an affair, and eventually planned a future together. But for that to happen, Soniya believed, her husband had to be eliminated.

According to investigators, Soniya initially asked Rohit to kill Pritam, offering ₹6 lakh. Rohit refused, saying he would need to hire someone. The plan didn’t materialise as Soniya couldn’t arrange the money, and Rohit went into hiding over another case.

Murder in the Shadows

The murder was ultimately carried out on July 5, 2024, when Soniya visited her sister’s house in Gannaur, Sonepat, following a fight with Pritam. He followed her there in an attempt to reconcile. That evening, Soniya approached her sister’s brother-in-law, Vijay — an unemployed man with a criminal record — and offered him ₹1 lakh to kill her husband. He agreed to do it for ₹50,000.

That night, Pritam was convinced to stay over. While Soniya and others slept on the terrace, Vijay allegedly murdered Pritam downstairs, wrapped his body in a sheet, and dumped it in a nearby canal near Agwanpur village. Before disposing of the body, Vijay reportedly sent Soniya photos and videos of the corpse via Instagram, which he later deleted.

On July 10, Haryana police recovered an unidentified body from the canal. With no leads, the murder case went cold. Meanwhile, Soniya filed a missing person’s complaint in Delhi’s Alipur on July 15, claiming Pritam had disappeared after a domestic dispute.

Cover-Up and Digital Trail

To erase traces of the crime, Soniya gave Pritam’s mobile phone to Rohit and told him to destroy it. But Rohit kept using the device. He also received money from Soniya, including proceeds from the sale of Pritam’s auto-rickshaw, which she sold for ₹4.5 lakh.

A year later, during a routine digital surveillance operation targeting absconding criminals, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch detected activity from Pritam’s mobile phone in Sonepat. This clue reignited the investigation.

Police traced the phone to Rohit. On questioning, he initially denied involvement, claiming he had purchased the phone second-hand. But under sustained interrogation, he confessed to his affair with Soniya and disclosed the murder conspiracy.

Following his confession, Soniya was picked up and questioned. After initial denials, she broke down and admitted to orchestrating the murder and paying Vijay to carry it out. She also revealed she had sold Pritam’s vehicle and shared the money with Rohit.

Arrests and Identification

Soniya and Rohit were arrested, and Vijay, already in jail in a separate theft case, is now being formally linked to the murder. Investigators said DNA samples preserved from the unidentified body recovered in 2024 are now being matched to confirm the victim’s identity as Pritam Prakash.

Ironically, police say Rohit married another woman in April 2025, even as he continued his relationship with Soniya.

Police Speak

“This was a blind case — no identity, no witness, no trail. A single mobile phone signal helped break it open,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Harsh Indora. “It shows that even the most calculated lies can collapse with one careless mistake.”

Police are now preparing to file additional charges and complete the forensic confirmation of the victim’s identity.