India’s Shocking Rise in Wives Killing Husbands

In recent times, India has witnessed an unsettling trend that has both shocked and captivated the nation—an alarming rise in cases of wives murdering their husbands. These aren't just crimes of passion or sudden rage; many are premeditated, cold-blooded, and carried out with the help of lovers or close acquaintances. At the centre of this disturbing phenomenon is a tangled mix of infidelity, abuse, emotional estrangement, and, often, the belief that eliminating the husband is the only route to personal freedom.

From Meghalaya’s forests to the congested lanes of Nagpur, these stories are horrifying not only in their brutality but also in their emotional detachment.

The Nagpur Pillow Murder: Love, Abuse, and Betrayal

In a spine-chilling case from Tarodi Khurd in Nagpur, 30-year-old Disha Ramteke was arrested for smothering her paralysed husband, Chandrasen Ramteke, to death—with the help of her alleged lover Asif Ansari, a local mechanic known as "Raja Babu Tyrewala."

Chandrasen, 38, had suffered a paralytic stroke about 18 months earlier, leaving him bedridden and dependent on his wife for daily care. To sustain her family, which included three children aged six, nine, and ten, Disha launched a small water business, delivering cans to nearby households. Her resilience earned her admiration from the outside world, but inside the house, her marriage was unravelling.

According to police sources, Chandrasen frequently abused Disha emotionally, taunting her and accusing her of infidelity, often in front of their children. Her growing interactions with Asif, initially professional, soon turned romantic. When Chandrasen discovered their messages, he threatened to “teach them a lesson” upon his recovery.

That confrontation became a death sentence.

On the afternoon of July 4, while Chandrasen napped, Disha called Asif over to the house. As per police accounts, Disha pinned down her husband while Asif smothered him using a pillow, pressing down on his nose, mouth, and neck. Two hours later, Disha pretended to discover Chandrasen unresponsive and rushed him to a local hospital. Doctors initially suspected a natural death due to his condition, but a post-mortem revealed telltale signs of smothering—injuries to the nose, neck, and cheeks.

When confronted with evidence, Disha confessed during interrogation, as did Asif. The duo were arrested and charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder.

Other similar cases

Sambhal Horror: A Mother’s Double Murder Attempt

Barely days before the Nagpur revelation, another disturbing case emerged from Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where Naina Sharma and her lover Ashish Mishra allegedly attempted to kill her husband and two young sons, aged just four and 1.5 years.

According to reports, Naina was in an extramarital affair and viewed her husband, Gopal, and even their children, as obstacles to a future with her lover. On the night of June 30, she allegedly poisoned the milk of her husband and sons, but the attempt failed. Days later, she reportedly stabbed Gopal in his sleep, but he managed to fight off the attack and raise an alarm, forcing Naina and Ashish to flee.

The case is under investigation, but the sheer premeditation and involvement of the children make it one of the most gut-wrenching domestic crime stories in recent memory.

The Meghalaya Honeymoon Murder: Love in the Time of Lies

Earlier this year, in what seemed like a romantic getaway, newlywed Raja Raghuvanshi was found dead in the forests of Meghalaya during his honeymoon. His wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, quickly became the prime suspect. The investigation revealed that Sonam had allegedly conspired with her lover, Raj Kushwaha, and hired contract killers to eliminate her husband.

Five people, including Sonam and Raj, were arrested. The callous planning and the fact that this took place during their honeymoon sent shockwaves across the country.

Meerut’s Cement Drum Nightmare

In Meerut, Muskan Rastogi and her lover, Sahil Shukla, allegedly murdered Muskan’s husband, Merchant Navy officer Saurabh Rajput. After sedating and stabbing him, they dismembered his body and stuffed the remains inside a cement-filled drum to hide the crime.

What added another layer of drama was the discovery that Muskan was pregnant while in custody, potentially with her lover's child. The crime was as gruesome as it was calculating, once again underscoring a troubling trend of lovers turning executioners.

Tripura’s Freezer Killing: A Cold-Blooded Love Triangle

In Agartala, 26-year-old Sariful Islam was found stuffed inside an ice-cream freezer, a casualty of a complex love triangle. Police say Nabanita Das orchestrated the crime with the help of her cousin, Dr. Dibakar Saha, an MBBS doctor. Sariful, romantically involved with Nabanita, was allegedly murdered due to jealousy and betrayal.

The incident began as a missing person case but soon turned into a shocking murder mystery, revealing yet another narrative of intimate deception turned deadly.

Aurangabad’s Newlywed Nightmare

In Aurangabad, Bihar, 30-year-old Gunja Singh allegedly plotted her husband's murder just 45 days into their marriage. With help from her maternal uncle and long-time lover Jeevan Singh, she orchestrated the killing, reportedly inspired by the Sonam Raghuvanshi case. Her husband, unaware of the dark alliance forming around him, became one more name on this growing list of spousal homicide victims.

What’s Driving the Trend?

This string of brutal cases points to a disturbing social shift. Many of these murders share common elements: extramarital affairs, emotional or physical abuse, financial pressure, and the belief that murder is the only escape.

While some wives, like Disha Ramteke, claim years of abuse, others appear to be driven purely by desire and greed. Either way, the underlying factor is that the institution of marriage is increasingly being violated not through divorce—but through death.

Experts argue that increased exposure to crime thrillers, declining stigma around extramarital relationships, and easy access to social media communication tools are contributing to a growing number of people plotting elaborate domestic crimes.

Broken Vows, Broken Lives

Marriage, often viewed as a sacred bond, has become the setting for some of India's most horrifying murders in recent times. The emerging trend of wives orchestrating or directly committing the murder of their husbands is not just a law-and-order issue—it's a socio-psychological crisis.

It raises pressing questions: Are women increasingly feeling trapped in abusive marriages? Is the easy availability of extramarital options weakening moral barriers? Or are deeper systemic issues—like mental health, lack of support, and social pressure—playing a role?

As investigations continue and courts begin to hear these chilling cases, India watches with a mix of horror and intrigue, wondering how many more marriages will end in murder before society confronts the fractures behind the facade of domestic bliss.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies