Mumbai, May 07: In a chilling case of premeditated murder, a woman allegedly strangled her lover to death inside a hotel room in Malad East in Mumbai, and then tried to mislead police and the victim’s family by sending fake suicide messages from his phone. The incident took place on Sunday, May 5, and the accused, Barkat Rathod, 40, was arrested two days later in Jaipur.

According to a report published by Mid-Day, Rathod flew from Jaipur to Mumbai on Sunday morning with the intention of killing 47-year-old I Mansuri, a Mira Road resident and interior decorator. The two had checked into the Shalimar Hotel in Malad East, where Rathod allegedly committed the murder and fled the city by train the same evening, eventually taking shelter at her mother’s home in Jaipur. Mumbai Shocker: Domestic Worker Allegedly Raped Twice by Employer in Goregaon, Police Launch Manhunt.

According to the report, Mansuri’s family received alarming messages from his phone on Sunday evening, claiming he had died by suicide due to mental harassment by his wife. One of the messages stated: “I, Mansuri, in full consciousness, declare that there is no relationship between Barkat and me. This is all a conspiracy by my wife…”

Suspicious of the language used in the messages, especially as Mansuri was reportedly illiterate, his son approached the Nayanagar police and began tracing his father’s last known location. Hotel staff at Shalimar confirmed that Mansuri had checked in with a woman in a burqa, submitting two Aadhaar cards — one in his name and another in the name of his mother. CCTV footage, however, revealed the woman was not his mother, but his maternal aunt, Barkat Rathod. Mumbai Shocker: Man Sexually Assaults Female Colleague in Andheri, Threatens To Leak Obscene Pictures of Her on Social Media; Arrested.

Mansuri’s semi-naked body was later found in the hotel room, bearing signs of strangulation. The post-mortem conducted at Siddharth Hospital confirmed death by asphyxiation, ruling out suicide. Police said Rathod, the estranged wife of Mansuri’s brother-in-law, had been in an extramarital relationship with the victim. After her husband discovered the affair, he separated from her, and she has been living in Jaipur since.

Based on call data records and CCTV footage, Dindoshi Police tracked and arrested Rathod in Jaipur on Tuesday and brought her back to Mumbai.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 07, 2025 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).