A 45-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, who had shared details of his 18-acre land and unmarried status with Aniruddhacharya Maharaj, was allegedly murdered by a woman who faked her identity to marry him and seize his property.
According to an NDTV report on Sunday, the victim, Indrakumar Tiwari – a part-time teacher and farmer from Padwar (Khitola) in Jabalpur district – had spoken publicly during a spiritual gathering last month. He expressed frustration over not finding a bride and shared that he had no one to look after his farmland.
A video from the event, now widely circulated, shows Indrakumar telling Aniruddhacharya about his 18-acre property. The self-styled godman responded playfully rather than offering serious advice, suggesting Indrakumar become a “sadhu” and donate his land for public welfare.
However, Hindustan Times noted it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
Video grabbed attention of scamsters
The viral video reportedly attracted the attention of fraudsters. Shortly after, Indrakumar Tiwari went missing, and on June 6, his body was found in bushes along National Highway 28 in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, with a knife lodged in his neck.
Kushinagar Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar, quoted in the NDTV report, said initial investigation revealed that a woman named Sahiba Bano posed as “Khushi Tiwari” and reached out to Indrakumar via social media with a marriage proposal.
She used a forged Aadhaar card to fake her identity and persuaded him to travel to Gorakhpur. “Khushi Tiwari contacted Indrakumar and proposed marriage to him. He agreed to marry her. The woman then laid a trap along with her associates,” Kumar said.
Murdered 2 hrs after the marriage
According to an India Today report, in Gorakhpur, Sahiba Bano – posing as “Khushi Tiwari”-with the help of two accomplices, staged a fake wedding ceremony and murdered Indrakumar Tiwari just hours later. His body was dumped in a drain.
Police said Indrakumar had informed his family that he was heading to Kushinagar to marry “Khushi.”
“The man reached Gorakhpur and the two got married. His body was found days later. It is suspected that the woman and her associates killed him and escaped with some jewellery and cash that he was carrying,” said Kushinagar SP Santosh Kumar.
His body, with a knife still lodged in the neck, was later discovered in the Sukarouli area under Hata Kotwali in Kushinagar.
“Sahiba has been arrested. She had made a fake Aadhaar card as well. Efforts are on to nab the remaining accused. A detailed probe is underway,” the SP added.
Police from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh coordinated to investigate the case. During the probe, authorities found the accused intended to use the fake marriage photos to claim Indrakumar’s land by posing as his widow.
Sahiba and her two accomplices have now been arrested. One of them, identified as Kushal, had reportedly been tricked earlier this year into a similar staged marriage. Investigators believe he was promised a share of the land’s sale after the murder.