Ahmedabad Crime Branch uncovers three linked murders in 2022 cold case
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Ahmedabad, Oct 1: The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch has solved a 2022 cold case involving three related murders and arrested a couple in connection with the killings. The case came to light after the husband allegedly attempted to frame his estranged wife, leading investigators to uncover the couple's alleged involvement in all three deaths.The primary motives behind these horrific crimes were financial greed and avoiding caregiving responsibilities.
The investigation began after Madhavdas Bhaktiram Sadhu approached police with information about the murder of Shantaben Gambhirbhai Vasava, an elderly woman who was killed in Kosamba, Surat district, in 2022. Madhavdas alleged that Shantaben had been killed by her granddaughter Urmila alias Jaya and her cousin, and that her body had been buried inside their residence.
Acting on the information, police detained the cousin named Madhavdas. However, questioning and verification revealed that the person had no apparent connection with the crime. Investigators then began examining the credibility of the original information.
During further questioning, Madhavdas reportedly gave contradictory statements. Police found that he and Urmila had been living separately for around eight months after she left their shared residence with their son, cash and jewellery. Investigators alleged that Madhavdas had fabricated the accusation out of personal resentment and attempted to implicate Urmila and her cousin.
A 70-year-old woman in Gujarat vanished during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022. Her family was told she had been taken from hospital to a crematorium.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) October 1, 2026
Four years later, police dug up a cement-filled drum buried in the courtyard of her home and found her remains.
The discovery led… pic.twitter.com/BsRfYk5CUV
Further interrogation reportedly led Madhavdas and Urmila to admit their involvement in Shantaben's murder. According to police, the couple killed Shantaben in 2022, placed her body inside a barrel sealed with industrial cement and later buried the remains in a pit on the property.
As the investigation progressed, police allegedly uncovered two additional killings involving the couple.
In the first case, Madhavdas's mother, Manjulaben Bhaktiram Sadhu, who was paralysed and required regular care, was allegedly smothered with a pillow by the couple. Her body was subsequently cremated.
The second victim was Bhagwatiben Kamleshbhai Vasava, Urmila's sister and Shantaben's granddaughter, who was suffering from tuberculosis and lived in the same household. Police alleged that the couple killed her to obtain cash, valuables and control over the family's residential properties.
According to investigators, Bhagwatiben was allegedly smothered and buried, following which the couple killed Shantaben as part of their alleged plan to gain control of the assets.