By Sumesh Rajan | April 27, 2026
Surat, Gujarat, INDIA: In a chilling case that has stunned Gujarat’s Surat city, the decomposed body of a 39-year-old dietitian was recovered from a cement-sealed wooden box inside a dilapidated ancestral house, allegedly after being murdered by her husband, police said on Monday April 27.
The accused, identified as Vishal Salvi, has been detained after investigators uncovered what they describe as a carefully planned attempt to conceal the crime and mislead authorities through a false missing person complaint.
The victim, Shilpa Salvi, worked as a dietitian at Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research and had also recently started her own clinic.
Missing Complaint Turns Into Murder Probe
According to police, Vishal Salvi had approached the Godadara police station last week claiming that his wife had been missing for four days. However, the case took a dramatic turn when Vishal himself disappeared two days later, raising suspicion among investigators and family members.
The breakthrough came after the couple’s minor son discovered a handwritten note left behind by his father and shared it with relatives, who then informed the police.
In the letter, Vishal allegedly confessed to committing a “crime” and disclosed that Shilpa’s body could be found at his old residence in Salabatpura.
Body Found Buried Under Cement
Acting on the contents of the note, police reached the first floor of an abandoned corrugated-sheet house in the Kagji Ki Chal locality near Sahara Darwaza in Salabatpura.
There, officers found a wooden box covered with freshly poured cement and foam.
“When the box was opened, a highly decomposed body was found inside. Preliminary findings suggest the murder took place around four to five days earlier,” said Salabatpura police inspector R.A. Jadeja.
Police believe the accused attempted to bury the body in cement to suppress the foul smell and destroy evidence.
Domestic Discord Suspected
Investigators said Vishal Salvi, formerly employed in a diamond polishing unit, had been unemployed for the last few years, while Shilpa was the family’s primary earning member.
Police suspect that frequent domestic quarrels, financial stress and marital distrust may have culminated in the murder on April 20.
Officials revealed that Vishal had expressed suspicion over his wife’s alleged extramarital affair and often fought with her over her refusal to let him check her mobile phone.
In his confession note, Vishal claimed that although the initial years of marriage were peaceful, their relationship had deteriorated over the years, leaving him “driven by desperation.”
Father’s Suspicion Triggered Alarm
Shilpa’s father, Pradip Kosta, who lives in Chhattisgarh, told police that he became worried when repeated calls to his daughter went unanswered.
When he contacted Vishal, he was allegedly told that Shilpa had gone to the hospital and failed to return. Unsatisfied with the explanation, Kosta travelled to Surat and confronted his son-in-law before approaching the police.
His complaint, coupled with Vishal’s disappearance and the confession note, ultimately led investigators to the grisly discovery.
Murder Case Registered
Police have registered a murder case against Vishal Salvi based on the complaint filed by Shilpa’s father. The accused was later traced to a rural area on the outskirts of Surat and taken into custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Kanan Desai said further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and whether anyone else had knowledge of the killing or assisted in the attempted cover-up.
The couple had been married since 2010 and are survived by two sons.
The shocking brutality of the crime — from the alleged murder to the attempt to entomb the victim’s body in cement — has sent waves of horror across Surat, with residents struggling to comprehend the grisly domestic tragedy.
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