01x04 - Episode 4

[bunniefuu]

[dramatic music]

[static crackling]

RANSOM, CRIMINAL ACT

[In Hindi] For the last 30 years,
Swami Shraddhananda

has been serving his sentence in prison.

[crowd chattering]

Swami Shraddhananda
buried his wife Shakereh

in her own house in Central Bangalore.

-[crowd chattering]
-[distorting sound]

Shraddhananda claims he is not guilty
and that he should now be released.

-[ambulance siren wailing]
-[distorting sound]

Will Shraddhananda become a danger
to the society if he is let out?

That's all for this story.

But for everything else,
stay tuned to Aaj Tak.

[indistinct chatter]

[eerie music]

[door opens]

[intense music]

[Shams] I am Shams Tahir Khan.

And for last twenty five years
I have been reporting on crimes.

[intense music continues]

I have seen criminals being let off
in much more heinous crimes than this.

[intense music]

In Shraddhananda's case,

given his good conduct and good behavior
in jail for the last 28 years,

I won't be surprised if he is released.

But from the family's perspective,

the crime he has committed,
he stands no chance for mercy.

[eerie music]

[Alok] He was a normal man.

He came in that particular household
to solve their problems.

If he's an innocent man, then, you know,

every day, which he spends in prison…

is beyond imagination.

[eerie music]

[Alok] Because he never confessed
his crime before me.

[eerie music continues]

He maintains his innocence.

[eerie music continues]

[woman singing a hymn]

[woman continues singing]

It'll be a travesty of justice
if he's pardoned.

You know, she had a horrendous exit
from the world…

beyond imagination.

[woman singing a hymn]

[Rebab] You know, Shakereh used
to read at our prayer meetings.

It's called a Marsiya, an elegy.

And she had a beautiful voice.

She really had a lovely voice.

[woman singing a hymn]

[woman continues singing]

[Rebab] And I just could not believe it,

I mean, she was so vital
and so full of life and…

I think it's just…

umm…

a feeling of such a waste of a life.

She had so much to give.

And it's such a shocking waste
of a life, a young life.

[woman singing a hymn]

[woman continues singing]

[woman continues singing]

[woman singing ends]

[theme music begins]

[theme music continues]

[theme music ends]

[eerie music]

[vehicles honking distinctly]

[Nagesh] In a case of m*rder…

[eerie music continues]

the court could award
only two types of sentences.

One is, the life imprisonment…

or a death sentence.

[music intensifies]

[Sanjay] By the time the case came up
for final hearing,

he had been in prison…

for nearly 13 years.

-[indistinct chatter]
-[distorted sound]

[man speaking indistinctly]

And an ordinary sentence
of life imprisonment,

would get commuted in 14 years.

So even if he was held guilty,

it was conceivable that
he'd walk out of jail

no sooner than the case was over.

-[car beeping]
-[indistinct chatter]

[Sanjay] The family thought
that would also be a problem.

Because then he would come back,

he would interfere with their lives,

he would possibly lay claim
to the property.

After all, he was the husband.

-[cycle bell ringing]
-[vehicles honking]

[eerie music]

[Nagesh] It is very rarely…

that the courts would impose
a sentence of death,

in a case which rests
on circumstantial evidence.

[crowd chattering]

[Nagesh] I put the case before the court…

[crowd chattering]

for imposing the death sentence.

-[cameras clicking]
-[crowd chattering]

[Alok] I was very much sure that
this case was not a case for

either for conviction leave,

you know, forget about death penalty.

-[eerie music]
-[birds twittering]

[Bannurmath] I am Bannurmath SR.

Saminder is my first name.

[eerie music continues]

I was a judge of the Karnataka High Court.

This is a small kitchen garden.

One hour spending here

is equivalent to your two or three hours
of relaxation and sleeping…

with the sleeping tablets rather.

[laughing]

[Bannurmath] In my career,

as a judge of 12 years,

every m*rder is brutal and heinous.

So how to know the difference
between one m*rder and another?

-[clickety-clack of keyboard]
-[eerie music]

[button dings]

[Bannurmath] If you find that
it is most gruesome and heinous,

well plotted, for gain,

it becomes the rarest of rare case.

[eerie music continues]

Ultimately, now, I have reached
to the conclusion

it is the mindset of the judge.

[eerie music]

[Abbas] This was the crime most horrendous

and despicable and unthinkable.

What would've been most appropriate,
it would have been a death sentence.

You know, to salvage
what he did to my aunt.

[eerie music continues]

[Alok] There is nothing rare in this case.

No such evidence has been led
which shows that this man was…

criminal by nature

and the moment he will come out
he will commit another crime.

-[crowd chattering]
-[cameras clicking]

-[crowd chattering]
-[eerie music continues]

-[cameras clicking]
-[eerie music continues]

-[gavel thudding]
-[eerie music continues]

[music intensifies]

The first stage of collection of evidence
was the apprehension of accused.

-[sirens wailing]
-[static crackling]

[Nagesh] He was arrested…

[static crackling]

interrogated.

[eerie music]

He volunteered…

the information.

Yes, I have done to death…

my wife.

He put the markings for…

the purpose of excavation of the earth…

at the place where he had buried the body.

[Alok] The accused was arrested
on 28th of March, 1994.

And they called this man,
asked him to give a statement

and this poor man gave a statement
that yes he buried his wife.

I argued that point
before the Honorable Apex Court.

It's not permissible to use that
particular piece of evidence or statement.

-[typewriter clicking]
-[eerie music continues]

[Alok] There is an inherent defect
in this particular case.

The prosecution came up with the theory

that this woman was given sedatives…

or poison in her tea.

So in the trial court
they were not able to prove

the administration of the poison.

[intense music]

[Alok] And, before finding the dead body…

the accused is in police custody.

How come…

he's having keys in his possession?

[Alok] There is clear cut evidence
that he was having the keys.

That's why you say,
if you find something, seal it

so that it is not available
to the investigating officers

to subsequently show false recoveries.

[intense music]

[Alok] This is a case
of circumstantial evidence.

There is a break in the circumstance.

-[intense music continues]
-[static crackling]

[Nagesh] The policeman,
when they arrested him,

when they search this person,
the keys were there.

That would also indicate…

no one could have
had access to that place.

To bring home the guilt of the accused…

in particular, the evidence of Sabah.

And then the conduct of the accused…

to give an indication
that his mother is still alive…

that was the guilty mind.

[intense music continues]

Is it not a case of an act
of breach of trust?

A trust which your wife
had imposed upon you.

[eerie music]

[Nagesh] Innocently…

you deceived her.

He emptied her bank accounts.

Removed all the jewelry.

He wanted to knock off her properties.

[Nagesh] That to when it was brought
to the notice of the court…

that it is a case of a husband

committing an act of breach of trust.

So it is nothing but…

a fool proof case of m*rder for gain.

-[door creaking]
-[eerie music continues]

[door thudding]

[Bannurmath] Every time
before coming to the conclusion,

practically I used to lose my sleep,

and look into the facts again and again.

[eerie music continues]

Based on entire evidence,
after we reached to the conclusion

that the skeleton found in the box,
buried in the house…

was that of Shakereh.

The accused had sufficient motive,

opportunity to commit
the m*rder of his wife,

only with the sole objective
of enriching himself

by appropriating her valuable properties.

In my opinion, the facts
of the present case clearly fall

within the category of rarest
of the rare case.

This man is guilty of the m*rder.

[intense music]

[nail hammering]

[man 2] The judge having accepted
the submissions made

on behalf of the prosecution

has ordered that the accused
be sentenced to death

and he should be hanged till his death.

-[crowd chattering]
-[cameras clicking]

It is not a compensation
for my mother's death,

because I cannot get my mother back.

But justice has been done.

I don't know but I am so happy today

that I don't care whether
it took another five years but,

this is what we were
aiming for, this result.

And I must just be thankful for this and,

I think I have been very blessed that
we got the victory on our side.

-[crowd chattering]
-[cameras clicking]

-[crowd chattering]
-[vehicles honking]

[chattering continues]

[Alok] My objective was,
I'll argue for an acquittal because…

certainly this judgment
cannot stand legally.

[dramatic music]

[Sanjay] I used to be the standing council
for the state of Karnataka.

By the time the case came up
for final hearing,

the question was whether
the Supreme Court would

uphold the death sentence?

I told the two judges,

I don't know how much
of the Indian epics you know.

But, there is a sentence which makes
absolute sense to everybody in India.

Ravana's sin…

was not only that he kidnapped Sita…

but that he kidnapped
her wearing saffron clothes.

That is he came, dressed as an ascetic

and then kidnapped her.

[dramatic music continues]

[Alok] There are numerous cases

in which death penalty
has not been imposed.

He is not a hardened criminal.

He is not beyond reformation.

Where is the evidence?

The lady's body was recovered
from the pit within the house.

This man went on living in the house,

went on telling people that she was alive
and she had gone off to USA

and there was the additional circumstance
that he had commissioned…

the carpenter to build that box
in which her body was found.

The facts were obvious.

[dramatic music continues]

[Alok] So in the end,
honorable Justice Katju

was in favor of imposing death penalty.

Honorable Justice, Mr. Sinha,

he didn't impose death penalty.

So it was a split verdict.

This was the first time in the country

the supreme court said…

let him live and die in jail.

And the larger belt would say…

CENTRAL JAIL, SAGAR

no escape for him.

As long as he lives…

let him live in jail.

Let him breathe his last in jail.

[in Hindi] This punishment that
the supreme court gave me…

it is worse than capital punishment.

[eerie music]

People think that
getting life is everything.

This life is like a rotting vegetable.

[eerie music]

I have to die here itself.

If they would have k*lled me that day,
it would've been better.

Hasn't the Supreme Court
left me here to die?

I cannot eat, drink, wear
or even die by my own choice.

It would have been better
if they had buried me in a box alive too.

I would be relieved if that happens.

[eerie music continues]

I can't see myself dying every day.

[eerie music continues]

For me, it is the same routine
since 30 years.

Eat, drink, sleep and repeat.

Beyond that there is no new routine.

[eerie music continues]

I am only waiting for death to come.

[eerie music continues]

[man speaking in the background]

[man continues to speak]

[scoffs]

-[chair creaking]
-[eerie music continues]

[Alok] One of the purpose of inflicting
punishment is to bring about reformation.

So, this kind of sentence
is unprecedented.

-[indistinct chatter]
-[eerie music continues]

Where were you roaming all the time?

How many hunt you did today?

How much you eat?

-[Shraddhananda chuckles]
-[cat meows]

[chuckles]

-[eerie music continues]
-[Shraddhananda gasps]

She can eat anything.
She kills snakes.

She kills every snake she sees.

Lie down here.

[eerie music continues]

How are you?

You're a mischievous cat.

Aah…

Here, lay down here.

Move your leg aside

and show me your tummy.
Is there any baby in it?

No?

Oh!

[siren wailing in the background]

Isn't she good?

Tell me?

Are you Shakereh's ghost?

-[cat meows]
-[Shraddhananda chuckles]

[static crackling]

[Bannurmath] So, we thought that
we should also give an opportunity

to the accused, to say something.

He might have said, yes I'm sorry.

I did it.

But there was no repentance
we could see on his face.

-[eerie music continues]
-[distorted sound]

[woman] In fact, he reportedly told
the press, quote, I have no regrets.

It didn't come through, unquote.

[man speaking indistinctly]

[interviewer speaking in English] If
Shakereh was still alive…

-Yeah?
-would you still be together,

-do you think?
-[in English] Of course we would.

Of course.

She was a good lady.

I used love her.

[interviewer] When you…

were dragging Shakereh
off the bed, into the casket

-[thuds]
-and nailing it…

[hammering nails]

what were you feeling?

I had lost my mind at the time.

The only thing I could think of was,
"How should I save myself?"

I knew that this would come up one day.

The blood will speak.

-One day it will come.
-So you knew…

you would be caught eventually?

Of course, I knew that
I will be caught one day.

[eerie music]

One day I will be caught.

[Dr. Prerna] If he was so prepared that
he will be caught then

why wasn't he prepared
for the consequences of it?

Isn't that interesting to note?

I had lost my mind at the time.

The only thing I could think of was,
"How should I save myself?"

Isn't that interesting,
"How to save myself, how to save myself?"

Not realizing the magnitude
of the sin committed, the crime.

It's all about him.
The fear is for himself.

[eerie music continues]

[Shams in Hindi] After the m*rder,
he buried the body in his courtyard…

and put a marble flooring on it.

He thought he was successful
and no one knew about it.

[eerie music continues]

[Shams] He used to party with
four-five people, danced and had fun.

His friends had no idea
that beneath the floor

on which they were dancing
Shakereh Khaleeli was buried.

[eerie music]

That first, the story about this crime
was given by this name,

"Dancing On Grave".

[distorted sound]

[Sabah] Though he maintained
a low profile,

he was given to leading
a luxurious lifestyle.

Literally wining, dining and partying
on the same courtyard

under which his wife
laid buried in a coffin.

And partying and dancing in the discos

and having, apparently the maid says,
parties on her grave.

[eerie music continues]

He is an animal.
He is not a man.

[Abbas] He told her that he was building
a sump, a water sump, in the compound.

-[shovel thumping]
-[eerie music continues]

[Abbas] He made her stand there
and dig her own grave literally.

[shovel thumping]

[interviewer] To this day,

do you still feel guilty?

Once you make a mistake, to cover it
you make the second mistake.

You make the third mistake,
you make the fourth mistake.

And that was happening with me…

because I'm not a…

criminal.

[interviewer] Were you
faithful to Shakereh?

I was faithful to Shakereh.

I was faithful to her…

and she was faithful to me also.

[Dr. Prerna] The way he speaks,

the way he is talking about
different events,

about life, his generosity,
doing things for others…

you start wondering,
whether he did this crime or not?

So, if you felt empathy for this person…

and just over, few hours.

So you can imagine what
Shakereh must've gone through.

How much she must have believed
and trusted him.

Either they have never believed in that,

that I have not m*rder*d Shakereh.

They always say that you've m*rder*d her
because that suits them.

[eerie music continues]

Plausible.

It's plausible.

But then a dead person
doesn't go around clutching blankets.

[static crackling]

There were thousands
of fingernail marks on that coffin.

-[dramatic music]
-[people chattering]

-[people continue chattering]
-[camera buzzing]

[Abbas] She regained consciousness.

She began knocking
at the sides of the box.

She tried knocking
on the sides and the lid.

Wherever she could find some space…

Where she felt she could find
the space for a hole, or a way out…

[intense music]

she kept scratching with her nails.

[intense music continues]

She began gnawing at the sides.

When she was exhumed,

her fingernails had wooden chips in them.

At one place she'd scratched so much
that her finger could have come off.

[Shams] She used her entire strength.

But she could not come out
because she was totally trapped.

She was buried alive.
She was buried alive.

She was not dead when she went inside.

-[people chattering]
-[camera buzzing]

[people continue to chatter]

The evidence is clear.

He himself said that he added the pills,
he shut her in the casket and buried her.

He never told me or anyone,
that he found her dead at home.

-[man speaking]
-[camera crackling]

He k*lled her, buried her,
shut her in the casket

and then paved the place with slabs.

He planted a Tulsi plant at that place

and was pouring milk on it. Why?

[eerie music]

[eerie music ends]

[static crackling]

[camera clicks]

-[buttons click]
-[woman singing hymn distinctly]

[woman continues to sing distinctly]

-[Shraddhananda murmurs]
-[woman continues to sing distinctly]

[in Hindi] Is it Shakereh's voice?

[woman singing continues]

Yes it is her voice!

Actually…

[woman continues to sing]

She…

-[Shraddhananda smirks]
-[woman continues to sing]

[woman continues to sing]

[woman singing ends]

[eerie music]

Cruel man.

Schemed.

She was a mother, too.

Like I'm a mother. She was a mother too.

[Gauhar sobs]

[soft music]

When I first heard about it
and while I was talking to Sabah,

you know, the back of my mind
there was this reel running.

She has four lovely daughters.

She has a beautiful home.

She has a rich husband,
a well placed husband.

How can she…

[soft music continues]

get embroiled with a man who's obviously

playing on her emotions
and her vulnerability?

This bothered me a lot.

[soft music]

[camera clicks]

[Rebab] I remember Shakereh telling me

that "I was 12 years old when
my grandfather was walking with me".

[distorted sound]

And he said that,
"You will marry Akbar".

They were first cousins.
Their mothers were sisters.

And they adored their grandfather
Sir Mirza.

They just adored him.

So, you know when you tell a child that,
it kind of sits in the mind,

or she may not have gone
against what he told her.

I think she probably had accepted that.

And so her attitude and her feelings
must have been different.

And Shakereh, she was very ambitious.

Uh…

very ambitious.

She had a very good, you know,
very fair real estate in Bangalore.

You know, she had
a burning desire to achieve.

In a way, she could have said that
it's in her genes

because Agha Ali Asgar was a builder.

Samir Khan, who was one of the other
cousins, is a very well-known builder.

She may have said that and felt that,

which is why she
wanted to go down that road.

[eerie music]

She was so full of life.

So full of life, and so different.

[Liveleen] And I always hold
it as a very lovely memory

of the dull, drab reception hall.

This was a reception
thrown for the employees

and Indian citizens who were in Iran.

And this very attractive lady
just came in.

[indistinct chatter]

She was wearing a pink chiffon sari.

Very beautifully embroidered
with silver work

and rather a low neck.

To my mind, it didn't seem that
she did that often.

And then she came
and stopped right in front of me.

[indistinct chatter]

And then she said…

[Liveleen] "How do you manage?"

So I said, "Like everybody else".

As we have to manage,
we have no choices.

And then she smiled and she walked away.

-[indistinct chatter continues]
-[glasses clink]

I mean, I was shocked
when I saw his photograph that

what he wore, what he looked…

I mean, it was totally opposite
of Mr. Khaleeli.

[eerie music]

She was finding a place for herself.

[distorted sound]

It was just total rebellion.

You know, I rather fall into a ditch…

than to live this life.

She took a wrong decision…

but she took it.

As she reposed a lot of trust in…

Murli Manohar Mishra.

[eerie music]

[Rebab] I don't think I would
have been able to change her mind.

-[birds twittering]
-[vehicles honking]

She was a very strong person

and you know when she committed
or decided on a route,

it was very difficult
to get her to change.

[Gauhar] I cautioned her against him…

and he said, "You".

I said, look, such people
are only after your money.

[Abbas] Shakereh auntie's mother,
Auntie Gauhar Taj,

was very loving to the daughter.

[eerie music]

Unfortunately, eventually
after she married him,

that relationship become a bit strained.

[vehicles honking]

The Property belonged to the mother.

And then she wanted some
of the property back.

[birds twittering]

[Rebab] I think towards the latter
end of her life,

she was not permitted to meet the family
or speak to the family.

[male automated voice] Some people said
she deserved it…

for what she's done.

When the body was exhumed,

the parents were asked
to come identify the body.

I.G.P of police and crime in-charge,
he came and spoke to me.

He said, what is this lady to you?

I said she is my mother's cousin.

He said, "I'm a devout Christian.

And God forsakes those
who forsake the families".

He was saying that, because
Auntie Shakereh left her family,

for a man like Murli Manohar Mishra,

even God left her hand.

And this is what happened because
of the God not being on her side.

[eerie music]

[birds chirping]

[in Hindi] I am Zainul Abdin.

I work here.

Umm, I keep this place clean
and take care of it.

[birds twittering]

This is a Shia cemetery,

in Bengaluru.

The famous Mirza Mohd. Ismail…

he is buried here. This is his grave.

[eerie music continues]

This graveyard and everything is all
because of Sir Mirza Ismail.

-[eerie music continues]
-[birds chirping]

Gauhartaj Begum…

and Haji Mirza Gulam Hussain Namazie.

Here are their graves.

-[birds twittering]
-[eerie music continues]

[Abbas] After the body
was exhumed in Bangalore,

parents wanted to be buried
in a Muslim graveyard.

But the people in the Anjuman,
in Bangalore, they didn't allow her

because they thought that
what she did was not correct.

[eerie music]

They prohibited her from being buried
in the graveyard in Bangalore.

[eerie music continues]

[Sanjay] What he did was…

absolutely unforgivable.

This continuing imprisonment…

with no hope…

of ever being released…

was an appropriate sentence.

[eerie music]

Apex Court had already pronounced,

why they are giving till his life ends.

Reason was, he is unfit
to live in the society…

amongst the normal human beings.

[door opens]

[eerie music continues]

[Nabila] Mr. Akbar Khaleeli,
I'm recording you here as a quote.

Swami Shraddhananda
has appealed for pardon

after 30 years in prison.

Your view on this since you appeared

for every single hearing
on this case over the years.

[soft music]

[Akbar] He was given every opportunity…

to defend himself.

But ultimately justice prevailed.

It would not be a nice thing

for the Supreme Court's judgment

to be overruled

for a fraud and crooked criminal

who took enough advantage

of everything…

to commit a cold-blooded m*rder.

[soft music continues]

But since you have asked me,

-I'm giving you my views.
-[Nabila] Yes, sir.

-[soft music]
-[grass rustling]

[male automated voice]
Gauhar Taj came once to

meet my mother when
my sister passed away.

It was a long time back.

And she was weeping
over her daughter saying,

"Your daughter at least got a burial.

And my daughter couldn't get that also."

That was her grief.

And I heard that her bones
were buried somewhere,

even that was not confirmed.

Probably, they must've
just made a bundle of it

and buried it in the Kabristan.

Even that is possible.

[soft music]

Nothing was done.
Neither the Namaaz was done

nor any prayers were
done for her. Nothing.

[man] This is the place.

-[distorted sound]
-[crickets chirping]

[birds twittering]

[crow cawing]

Oh…

[in Hindi] What is this?

[soft music]

Oh, God! I can't even
recognize this property.

Is this 81 Richmond Road?

Huh?

How has it become?

Oh, a tree has grown here.

[soft music continues]

-The tree came out here only?
-[interviewer] Yes.

[interviewer] It grew in the center.

[soft music]

Oh, God!

[music intensifies]

[woman vocalizing]

[soft music continues]

[birds chirping]

[music intensifies]

[woman vocalizing]

[intensified music]

[music continues]

[woman vocalizing]

[Sabah] She was a person who loved life.

In fact, even now, I feel like you know,
I feel her presence next to me.

[music continues]

[woman vocalizing]

[music continues]

[woman vocalizing]

[music continues]

[woman vocalizing]

[music fading away]

[soft music]

[piano playing]

[static crackling]

[soft music continues]

[soft music continues]

-[soft music continues]
-[static sound]

[soft music continues]

[soft music continues]

[soft music continues]

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[soft music ends]