Chhattisgarh Police have cracked the sensational murder of 25-year-old Purnima Chauhan, alias Poonam, in Sakti district, arresting nine people including the victim’s married boyfriend and his wife in a contract killing case.

According to police, Purnima was in a relationship with married man Murlishankar Chauhan. When she started pressuring him for marriage, Murlishankar and his wife Champa allegedly hired shooters for ₹4 lakh to eliminate her.

On June 26 morning, two masked youths entered Purnima’s house in Jongra village under Sakti police station and shot her three times. She was rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival.

The couple paid ₹2 lakh in advance to the shooters. Champa allegedly broke her post office account to arrange the money. Seven others were involved in planning and execution of the crime.

Police arrested Murlishankar, Champa, and seven others from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra after technical surveillance, call detail records, and CCTV footage. A pistol, live cartridges, two bikes, and cash were recovered.

The shooters reportedly watched the film Shooter for planning the murder.

This case has once again highlighted the dark side of extra-marital affairs turning fatal. Police said further investigation is on to ascertain the full conspiracy.

Brother’s Supari Plot Leads to Retired Officer’s Murder in Mungeli

Police in Chhattisgarh’s Mungeli district have cracked a sensational murder case in which a retired accounts officer was allegedly killed on the orders of his younger brother over a family property dispute worth several crores. The accused paid a supari of ₹10.5 lakh and 50 decimal land to eliminate his elder sibling and grab assets including land and gold.

The victim, 62-year-old Damodar Singh Rajput, a retired accounts officer from the education department, went missing on March 21 after leaving Mungeli for his ancestral village Jhafal to attend a family function. His body was later recovered from a forest in neighbouring Kawardha district.

Supari Deal for Elimination

According to police, the younger brother Ranjeet Singh Rajput masterminded the conspiracy along with his brother-in-law and cousin. They hired local men to carry out the killing. Sources indicated that an advance payment of ₹4.5 lakh was made as part of the deal.

The plot unfolded when Damodar Singh was lured on the pretext of attending a Durga Puja event. On the way, in a secluded spot near Manoharpur in the Lalpur police station area, the assailants stopped his motorcycle. They allegedly strangled him with a gamchha before stuffing the body into a car.

Body Dumped in Forest

When one vehicle developed a snag en route, the accused shifted the body to another car belonging to one of the accomplices. They drove to the Dexsay forest area in Kawardha, dug a pit near a river, and buried the body in sand to conceal evidence. To create the impression that the victim had left home to become a sadhu, they sent his mobile phone to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and had it thrown into the Ganga river.

Police Crack the Case

Investigators swung into action after family members reported Damodar Singh missing. His motorcycle was found abandoned near a rice mill in Manoharpur. CCTV footage from entry-exit points across Mungeli district played a crucial role. A grey car (CG 10 AC 8986) was spotted tailing the victim’s bike.

Questioning of the car owner led police to Sanjay Yadav, who had rented the vehicle. Intense interrogation revealed the names of the masterminds. On Monday evening, police arrested 15 accused, including Ranjeet Singh Rajput, his brother-in-law Pareshwar Singh (a former Congress nagar panchayat elder), cousin Rampal Singh Rajput, and several others. Four minors were also detained.

Family Property Feud at Core

Probe revealed that Damodar Singh had been embroiled in a long-standing property dispute with his son. The accused allegedly exploited this family discord to hatch the plan. They even prepared a fake notary document claiming the victim wanted to transfer his assets to his brothers and nephews while severing ties with his son.

Reports suggest this was not the first attempt. In 2025, the victim had narrowly escaped an alleged bid on his life staged as a road accident.

Police recovered two cars, a bike, a moped, and ₹96,000 in cash from the accused. All adult accused were produced in court and sent to judicial custody, while the minors were sent to an observation home.

Senior Officials Brief Media

During a press conference, police officials detailed how the conspiracy was unravelled through technical surveillance, CCTV analysis, and sustained interrogation. They described the killing as a cold-blooded contract murder driven purely by greed for property estimated at around ₹4 crore, including land and 30 tola of gold.

Impact on Local Community

The gruesome murder has sent shockwaves through the quiet villages of Mungeli and Lormi areas. Residents expressed concern over rising cases of familial disputes turning violent. Local leaders have called for stricter monitoring of property-related conflicts in rural Chhattisgarh.

The case also highlights the misuse of fake documents in land grab attempts. Authorities indicated that further investigation is underway to check if more people were involved in forging papers or disposing of assets.

What Lies Ahead

With key accused behind bars, police are now focusing on recovering any sold or transferred property and tracing the full flow of supari money. Forensic examination of the body and vehicles is expected to strengthen the case. Legal experts say the involvement of multiple family members could lead to stringent charges under IPC sections for murder, conspiracy, and kidnapping.

As the investigation progresses, this case serves as a grim reminder of how deep-rooted property feuds can destroy families in rural India. Police have appealed to citizens to resolve disputes through legal means rather than taking the law into their own hands.