A horrifying trend of violence rooted in extra-marital affairs has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh between 2025 and early 2026. The state has witnessed a series of brutal murders where wives, in collusion with their lovers, have eliminated their husbands. These incidents, often referred to as the 'Pati, Patni aur Woh' (Husband, Wife, and the Other) conflict, have left families devastated and society in shock. From Indore to Dhar and Jabalpur to Rewa, the stories of betrayal and blood highlight a crumbling sense of trust in marital relationships. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have also played a significant role in the genesis of these tragic events.
The Brutal Murder of Veeru alias Pappu Jat
One of the most chilling cases involved a married woman from Saikheda in Narsinghpur district. She, along with her former lover and an accomplice, conspired to kill her Facebook friend, 32 year old Veeru alias Pappu Jat, a resident of Bhilwara, Rajasthan. The victim was lured from 900 kilometers away under the pretext of a meeting. Upon his arrival, the accused beat him to death with a baseball bat. To conceal the crime, they cleaned the blood, tied the victim's hands and feet, taped his mouth, and stuffed the body into a sack. The body was then transported nearly 200 kilometers and dumped into a 40 feet deep trench under a bridge in Raisen district.
The Unique Agreement in Seoni
In contrast to the violent outcomes, a unique case emerged from Aharwada village in Seoni district. Shashank Lakhera reached the Keolari police station with his wife Apurva and her lover Jaideep Tiwari. After discovering his wife's affair and failing to convince her otherwise, Shashank chose a non-violent path. In the presence of the police, a written agreement was prepared where Apurva expressed her desire to end the marriage and live with Jaideep. Jaideep submitted an affidavit taking full responsibility for her. This 'peaceful' end to a love triangle became a topic of intense discussion on social media, with some praising the husband's restraint and others lamenting the decline of social values.
Contract Killings and Betrayal in Indore
The city of Indore has seen multiple such cases. Raja Raghuvanshi was taken to Meghalaya by his wife Sonam for a vacation, unaware that she had already contracted killers to murder him, while he was killed during the trip. Recently, the Shillong court granted bail to Sonam, raising questions about the investigation. In another incident in the Rau area on April 12, 2026, a wife hired a hitman for 70000 rupees to kill her husband. The murder was meticulously planned with her lover, and the husband was shot dead with a country-made pistol. The investigation revealed that the illegal relationship was the primary motive behind the cold-blooded execution.
Murders Over Complexion and Mobile Phones
In Dhar's Gondikheda, 25 year old Priyanka conspired with her lover Kamlesh to kill her husband Devkrishna because she disliked his dark complexion. She initially tried to frame the murder as a robbery, but police uncovered the truth through call records. In Rewa's Shahpur village, a husband lost his life simply because he took away his wife's mobile phone after discovering her year-long affair. When her lover returned to the village, the duo murdered him. In Bhind, a wife and her lover intercepted the husband while he was on his motorcycle and shot him dead, later attempting to mislead the police by claiming it was a loot attempt.
Grisly Discoveries in Mandsaur and Sagar
The level of cruelty reached new heights in Mandsaur's Bhanpura, where the wife of Dhanraj Nath Yogi, involved in a 5 year long affair with Pankaj Choudhary, killed her husband. They chopped the body into pieces, burnt them in a field, and buried the ashes to erase evidence. In Sagar's Shahpur, a woman poisoned her husband and dumped his body in the house's water tank. She misled everyone for 6 months until a foul smell led the police to discover the skeleton. Similarly, in Jabalpur on February 14, Valentine's Day, Jamuna alias Kavita and her lover, a temple priest named Suryakant Tripathi, killed her husband Sumit Kachi with a cricket bat and dumped the body in a forest.
Statistical Data and Expert Analysis
According to NCRB data from 2020 to 2024, Madhya Pradesh recorded 79 cases of husbands being murdered by their wives. However, the surge in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 suggests that previous records are being surpassed. Experts believe that the rise in social media usage, lack of family communication, and a tendency toward impulsive, violent decisions are contributing factors. Instead of seeking legal separation, individuals are increasingly resorting to crime, while this trend has created a climate of distrust within the sacred institution of marriage, posing a significant challenge to social stability.