After man doesn’t respond to calls for more than 15 days, suspicious kin break into his Nalasopara home and notice new tiles on the flooring; cops later find man’s body under the tiles, learn that his wife fled with her boyfriend and son
(From left) The police outside the Chavan residence in Nalasopara East on Monday; the spot beneath the floor where the deceased’s body was concealed. PICS/HANIF PATEL
A 37-year-old Nalasopara East resident, Vijay Chavan, was allegedly murdered by his wife and her lover, a 22-year-old BSc student, and buried under the floor of his own house. To cover up the crime, the woman, identified as Chaman, reportedly had new tiles installed over the burial spot.
Both the woman and her boyfriend, Monu Vishwakarma, who lived near the couple’s residence — Om Sai Welfare Society in Dhaniv Baug — are on the run. The deceased’s remains, which were dug up by the police on Monday, have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Chaman Chavan, who had been married to Vijay for 10 years (right) Monu Vishwakarma, a neighbour who, along with Chaman, is suspected of murdering Vijay Chavan
Vijay and Chaman had been married for 10 years. The former worked as a home renovation contractor, while the latter is a housewife. The couple also has a seven-year-old son. Investigations revealed that Chaman used her husband’s mobile phone to generate multiple OTPs to gain access to his bank account. She also allegedly withdrew money from various ATMs using his credentials.
Background of case
A police officer stated, “About a month ago, Vijay Chavan received R6 lakh as an insurance policy had matured. He already had '2-3 lakh in his account and was planning to purchase a new home in the area. He had transferred ownership of his current house to Chaman.”
Over the past 15 days, Vijay stopped answering calls from family members, including his brothers and uncle, who live nearby. Concerned, relatives visited his home multiple times. Chaman told them that Vijay was out at work in areas such as Borivli, Kandivli, and Malad.
Vijay Chavan, the deceased, who worked as a home renovation contractor
Vijay’s uncle, Mohan Chavan, recalled that when he visited the house, he spotted Vijay’s phone in his wife’s possession. Mohan told mid-day, “My nephew had been missing for 15 days. We inquired with relatives in Malad, Kandivli, Kurla, and Borivli, but no one had any information. We visited his home multiple times and always found his mobile phone with his wife.”
“We suspected foul play and informed the Pelhar police, but they initially refused to register a missing person’s complaint. It was only after we approached a local activist and some politicians that the police finally registered the complaint,” he added.
Locked door
Mohan said, “On July 19, we went to my nephew’s home and found the door locked. His phone was also switched off.” It was later learnt that around 12.40 pm the same day, Chaman had left with her son.
The spot beneath the floor where the deceased’s body was concealed. PICS/HANIF PATEL
She was captured fleeing by CCTV cameras in the area. On the way, she was seen buying three samosas from a roadside vendor. According to the police, Monu hasn’t been seen by anyone since Saturday.
Family acts
Suspecting something was definitely wrong, early on Monday, July 21, the family broke down the door of the Chavan residence and searched the entire house, but found nothing. “However, we noticed three new tiles on the floor, which raised our suspicions. We immediately informed the police,” Mohan said.
Grim task
A police officer said, “During our inquiry, we learned that about 12 days ago, Chaman had called a labourer to dig a hole 3.5 feet deep and six feet long. Two days later, she hired another worker through a tile shop to install new tiles over the dug-up section. The tile layer was paid around '1200 for the job.”
Mohan Chavan, deceased’s uncle
The officer added, “Monu’s mother had earlier caught him talking to Chaman over the phone. She confiscated his mobile and didn’t allow him to attend college for two days. However, she later returned the phone to him.”
Police Speak
Senior Inspector Jitendra Vankoti of Pelhar police station told mid-day, “Around 7 pm, while digging, we found a large black plastic bag that had been placed 1.5 feet below the surface of the floor. The body inside it had completely decomposed. We are in the process of registering an FIR against the wife and the other suspect.” DCP Suhas Bawache, meanwhile, said, “The neighbour and deceased wife are under suspicion. We are registering an FIR.”
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