In a shocking turn of events, what were initially believed to be deaths caused by a house fire have been revealed as a sinister plot of betrayal and greed in Talaja town, Bhavnagar district. The charred bodies of an elderly couple, Kishore Vaitha (64) and his wife Rekha (60), were discovered in their home on April 19. A fortnight later, police confirmed that the couple was murdered by their own son Vimal and his wife Hetal, who conspired to usurp their property.
Murder Plot Unfolds
According to Bhavnagar police, Hetal recruited two contract killers, Munir Bloch (31) and Amir Pathan (33), but ultimately strangled her in-laws herself and set their bodies on fire to destroy evidence. The crime came to light after Rekha's brother, who rushed from Surat upon Vimal's call about his mother's sudden health deterioration, mentioned to investigators the nephew's mounting debts and frequent quarrels with the parents.
Rajesh, Rekha's brother, filed a complaint at Talaja police station. On Saturday, police arrested Vimal, Hetal, Bloch, and Pathan. Medical findings revealed that Kishore had been strangled, while the absence of soot in Rekha's respiratory tract indicated she was already dead before the fire, suggesting a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence.
Conspiracy Hatched at Beauty Parlour
Investigations revealed that Hetal had met Munir and Amir at a beauty parlour in Rajkot around six months ago, where the conspiracy began to take shape. The final plan was executed on the night of April 18. Vimal, who lived in Rajkot with Hetal and their 15-year-old daughter, has four sisters.
The Night of the Crime
On the night of April 18, Hetal let Munir and Pathan into the Vaitha house late. As Rekha went to the washroom, the assailants locked the door from outside. Bloch then threw chilli paste into Vaitha's eyes, after which he and Amir restrained him while Hetal strangled him with a rope. When Rekha knocked on the door, she was let out, and Hetal allegedly smothered her, pushed her to the ground, sat on her chest, and strangled her. She then poured petrol on both bodies and set them on fire to make the deaths appear accidental.
Refusal to Sell House Led to Murder
Police investigations revealed that Vimal was heavily in debt and frequently harassed his parents for money. He had been pressuring his father to sell the family house and shop to clear his dues and also demanded his mother's gold jewellery. When the couple refused, the accused allegedly plotted their murder. It is learnt that Vaitha had earlier cleared some of Vimal's debts.
Vimal Could Not Watch Parents' Murder
According to Bhavnagar DSP Nitish Pandey, the prime accused Vimal stayed away from the house during the murders, claiming he could not bear to witness his parents being killed. 'Vimal deliberately left the house with a friend, saying he would not be able to see the murder of his parents,' Pandey said.
