By Sumesh Rajan | December 24, 2025
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA: A 48-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her tenant couple in Ghaziabad’s Raj Nagar Extension after she went to their flat to demand pending rent. The victim’s body was later found stuffed inside a suitcase, police said on Thursday December 18. The accused, Ajay Gupta and his wife Akriti Gupta, have been arrested.
The incident took place at the Aura Chimera residential complex, where the victim, Deepshikha Sharma, lived with her husband, Umesh Sharma. The couple owns two flats in the society, one of which had been rented to the Guptas.
According to police, the tenant couple had not paid rent for nearly four to five months. On Wednesday evening, Deepshikha, a school teacher by profession, went to their fifth-floor flat to demand the overdue amount. Her husband was not at home at the time.
When she failed to return for several hours, her domestic help, Minni (also referred to as Meena), grew suspicious and went to check on her. The responses given by the tenants raised doubts. CCTV footage from the society later showed Deepshikha entering the Guptas’ flat but never exiting it.
Minni then noticed the couple hurriedly preparing to leave the building with a large suitcase. She blocked their exit and alerted Deepshikha’s husband and the police. Neighbours told investigators that the couple had attempted to leave the building using the staircase instead of the lift and had called an autorickshaw, apparently to dispose of the body.
Police reached the spot around 11.15 pm and conducted a search of the flat. Deepshikha’s body was found stuffed inside a suitcase and hidden in a bed box.
Preliminary investigation revealed that an argument broke out when Deepshikha insisted on immediate payment of rent. The altercation reportedly turned violent, during which Ajay Gupta allegedly struck her on the head with a pressure cooker, while Akriti Gupta strangled her with a dupatta.
“Had the domestic help not intervened, the accused might have fled after disposing of the body,” said ACP (Nandgram) Upasana Pandey. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint filed by the victim’s family.
During questioning, the couple allegedly confessed to the crime. Police said Ajay Gupta, who was involved in the transport business, was under severe financial distress and had suffered business losses in recent months. Investigators are also examining whether there had been previous disputes between the tenants and the landlady.
Further investigation is underway.
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