Nowadays, most romantic relationships begin on social media platforms. Some of these relationships progress well, while others end abruptly. While some lead to interesting stories, others culminate in deception and crime. A recent incident in India has drawn attention for such a reason. A man and a ‘woman’ developed a romantic relationship through social media. The man even applied sindoor (vermilion) and accepted the person as his wife. After spending some time together, he discovered that the individual was actually a man. The ensuing dispute escalated to a murder.
The mystery was uncovered after the body was found. On June 25, a body dressed in women’s clothing was discovered near the Muskat Gate railway area in Rajkot, Gujarat. The body was in a state of decomposition. Initial investigations considered it a case of accidental death. However, the postmortem revealed serious injuries on the victim’s head, leading the police to conclude that the death was a homicide. Further investigation included forensic reports, CCTV footage, and statements from locals.
Following the inquiry, 20-year-old Piyush Kumar Khairwar, an employee at a factory in Rajkot, was arrested. During interrogation, Piyush admitted to the crime. According to his statement, he had been in a relationship with the victim for three years. Piyush, originally from Uttar Pradesh, had met the person while working in Hyderabad through social media. The individual used the name ‘Nisha’ on Facebook and ‘Poonam’ on Instagram. In reality, the person was named Chandan Kumar, who presented themselves as a woman to Piyush.
The relationship progressed and soon they started living together. Piyush had applied sindoor to Chandan, accepting them as his wife. However, Chandan avoided physical intimacy citing a religious vow. He had promised to wait for a stipulated period before engaging in any physical relationship. The truth came to light when Piyush saw Chandan shaving his beard one day. Realizing that the person he had accepted as his wife was actually a homosexual man, Piyush tried to distance himself and fled to Uttar Pradesh. Despite this, Chandan pursued him. Even after fleeing from Uttar Pradesh to Rajasthan and then to Rajkot, Chandan did not abandon him.
In the Padwala area of Rajkot, Piyush worked at a factory. On June 21, a quarrel occurred at the workplace. Following the argument, Piyush coaxed Chandan to a secluded spot near the railway tracks and fatally struck him on the head with a stone. After the murder, he hid the body under stones and returned to work. Vijay Singh Gurjar, the Rural Superintendent of Police in Rajkot, stated that the accused was arrested based on forensic evidence, CCTV footage, and witness testimonies. He further added that a case had been registered under Section 103(1) of the Indian Penal Code (murder) and investigations are ongoing.
