Man dumped by 9 wives for abuse kills 10th over alleged theft, hides body in Chhattisgarh forest

A man from Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district, whose nine previous wives had all left him citing violent abuse, has been arrested for allegedly murdering his tenth wife following an argument over theft. The accused, Dhula Ram from Sulesa village, reportedly suspected his wife, Basanti Bai, of stealing items, including rice, cooking oil, and clothing, from a wedding they had attended.

Police said the incident took place in the Pandrapath area of Bagicha, where a heated argument turned violent. Dhula Ram is accused of fatally assaulting his wife and later disposing of her body in a nearby forest, hiding it beneath dry leaves to avoid detection.

The crime came to light five days later when villagers noticed a foul smell near a drain in the forest. On investigation, they found a severely decomposed body that was partially buried. Police sources described the face of the deceased as being disfigured to the point of being unrecognisable, according to a report in The Times of India.

Investigators stated that Dhula Ram had become increasingly paranoid in his current relationship, driven by fear that his wife would abandon him like his previous partners. Officers said this fear, coupled with the accusation of theft, likely provoked the deadly assault.