Woman Allegedly Buries Husband Alive In Her Backyard As Per His Orders; Cops Dig Up Body

A 55-year-old woman has ended up behind bars for allegedly burying her husband alive in their backyard. Police said she was instructed to do so by the man himself so that "he can attain immortality."

The accused, Lakshmi, wife of the victim identified as 59-year-old Nagaraj, hails from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The incident came to light after the couple's daughter alerted police on finding her father missing, reported The New Indian Express.

Police said Nagaraj began calling himself a "priest" a few years ago after visiting temples. He even claimed to have "spoken to god."

"Nagaraj also built a temple in the backyard of their house and gathered people often to deliver prophecies," a senior police officer told the daily.

On Nov. 16, Nagaraj began to feel uneasy and complained of chest pain, the report said. He immediately summoned Lakshmi and instructed her to dig a pit to bury him alive so that "he can attain immortality as promised by gods."

Lakshmi then called two workers, who helped her dig a pit in their backyard. On Nov. 17, Lakshmi secretly buried Nagaraj in the pit while he was unconscious, the report added.

The woman kept mum about the incident until her daughter, an IT firm employee, visited them for the weekend. However, she felt something was wrong as her father was nowhere in sight. Her mother couldn't give her an answer either. The woman questioned her mother again, after which she confessed to burying him alive in the backyard.

The daughter immediately called police. Officers who arrived at the spot dug up the pit and retrieved the body. The remains were sent for autopsy, according to reports. Police said the reason for Nagaraj's death can be revealed only after the autopsy.

In a similar incident, a 38-year-old man in the Indian state of West Bengal was arrested for allegedly killing his mother and burying her in his bedroom for more than two years. The man, identified as Sahidul Sheikh, was accused by his estranged wife of killing his 58-year-old mother in their home in 2019.

As there was no one there at the time of the murder, Sheikh dug up the floor of his bedroom and buried his mother there. Since then, he would burn incense sticks every day over the place where his mother was buried.