Police in Kheda district seized Mitul Sodha and his brother Vipul on Oct 17 after a tip that Arunaben had hanged herself in her Mahuda home. The arrest followed forensic evidence of a packet of liquid urea in the kitchen and traces of lethal ammonia in the victim’s bloodstream, confirming a murder rather than a suicide.
A pathologist, Dr. Ramesh Patel, noted that the ligature marks on Arunaben’s neck appeared post‑mortem and that the chemical ingestion caused rapid asphyxiation, overturning the staged suicide narrative. Sodha allegedly searched online for legal liability before orchestrating the act, indicating premeditation.
During the interrogation, Sodha admitted that his wife had complained of severe abdominal pain while pregnant and that he ignored her pleas to seek medical help. He allegedly forced her to swallow the urea, then tied a nylon rope to her, hanging the body to mimic a self‑inflicted death.
The police recovered a notebook detailing the day’s plan and a phone that had been used to Google the law on spousal responsibility in suicide cases. This digital trail helped establish intent and timing.
The mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law are still at large; a notice has been issued for their arrest in the Kheda police jurisdiction. The case is now before the local magistrate, with a hearing scheduled for the end of next month.
The investigation underscores the growing use of toxic chemicals in domestic violence and the need for swift forensic analysis to prevent staged crime scenes.