Shimla, May 15,
In a horrifying case of dowry harassment and domestic violence, a 28-year-old woman was murdered by her husband and her half-burnt body was found buried in a pit in the courtyard of their house in Ghanperi village under Shoghi Police Outpost, falling within the jurisdiction of Boileauganj Police Station near Shimla. The crime occurred on May 14, and an FIR (Case No. 77/2025) was registered on May 15 under sections 103 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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The victim, identified as Gulshan, daughter of Devendra and resident of village Dhariya, Sadhupul, Tehsil Kandaghat, District Solan, was married in 2020 to Tota Ram alias Bobby (32), son of Puran Chand, a resident of Ghanperi village, Shimla. The couple has a four-year-old son and lived together in Tota Ram’s ancestral home following the death of his parents.
Police said that the accused had been in a dispute with his wife for the last six months. On April 13–14, the couple had a public quarrel that was resolved temporarily in front of Panchayat members and the victim’s maternal family. However, tensions continued to simmer.
On May 14, in a fit of rage, Tota Ram allegedly struck Gulshan on the head with an iron hammer, seriously injuring her. He then strangled her to death with a dupatta and attempted to destroy evidence by burning her body in a pit originally meant for storing ginger seeds, located in the courtyard.
The case was revealed after neighbors noticed suspicious activity and informed Gulshan’s family. Her brother Akshay, who reached the spot, discovered the half-burnt body and alerted the police. Acting swiftly, police detained Tota Ram, who had earlier tried to mislead officers by claiming his wife was missing.
The police recovered the victim’s remains from the pit on the accused’s directions and sent the body to IGMC Shimla for post-mortem. A forensic team also visited the scene and collected crucial evidence.
Superintendent of Police, Shimla, Sanjeev Gandhi confirmed the arrest and said the accused is in custody and would be produced in court for police remand. Further investigation is underway to uncover all aspects of the crime, including the dowry harassment angle raised by the victim’s family.
