Muzaffarpur: A local court has sentenced Subhash Sharma to life imprisonment for brutally murdering his childhood friend Rakesh Sahni after developing an illicit relationship with the victim’s wife. The case, which shocked Muzaffarpur district for its extreme violence and chilling confession, dates back to September 2021 and involved dismemberment of the body and an attempted chemical destruction of evidence.
According to the prosecution, Subhash and Rakesh were close friends since childhood and later became partners in illegal liquor trade following the enforcement of prohibition in Bihar. In 2020, Rakesh was arrested in a liquor-related case and sent to jail. After his release, frequent disputes reportedly broke out between Rakesh and his wife Radha over the liquor business. Rakesh later moved to Delhi for work, leaving his wife and children behind.
During this period, Subhash began visiting Rakesh’s house regularly. The visits soon turned into an affair between Subhash and Radha. In his confession to the police, Subhash admitted that the two developed a physical relationship and planned to live together. When Rakesh learned about the affair and began confronting Radha, Subhash decided to eliminate him.
As per the confession placed before the court, Radha called Rakesh back from Delhi on the pretext of a religious festival on September 11, 2021. Two days later, on the night of September 13, Subhash invited Rakesh to a rented room in the Balughat area. After drinking together, Subhash stabbed Rakesh in the neck with a sharp weapon and strangled him with a towel until he died.
The crime did not end there. Subhash later dismembered the body, separating the head, torso, arms and legs. He disposed of the limbs in a river and hid the remaining parts inside a blue plastic drum. In an attempt to destroy the body, he poured a mixture of chemicals including urea, salt and phenyl into the drum.
Five days later, on September 18, a powerful explosion occurred in the same rented room. Police investigation revealed that gas generated by the chemical mixture ignited after coming into contact with a burning incense stick, which Subhash had been lighting regularly to suppress the smell. The blast led investigators to recover human remains from the debris, exposing the murder.
Following the revelation, police arrested Subhash and Radha. While Radha was later released on a PR bond due to lack of conclusive evidence, Subhash remained in custody. Rakesh’s brother Dinesh Sahni had lodged an FIR after Rakesh went missing for several days.
The court held Subhash guilty based on his confession, forensic evidence and circumstantial proof. On Monday, the court awarded him life imprisonment for murder along with a fine of ₹50,000. He was also sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹5,000 for attempting to conceal the body. Failure to pay the fines will result in additional jail terms.
The verdict brings closure to one of the most disturbing murder cases in the district, marked by betrayal, obsession and an attempt to erase evidence through extreme means.
