₹1 lakh contract killing of girlfriend exposed in Ujjain:Accused claims woman demanded ₹50 lakh to avoid marriage

In Part 1 of the Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, it was revealed that what initially appeared to be a road accident on November 15, 2019, on Ujjain’s Chintaman Ring Road was, in fact, a carefully planned murder. The victim, Swati, was killed in what police later determined to be a contract killing designed to look like an accident, with the conspiracy set in motion several days before the incident. Breakthrough after driver’s arrest Five days after the incident, police arrested Wahid, the driver of a goods vehicle involved in the case. Initially, he claimed innocence, but sustained interrogation led to a confession.
He admitted that he had been paid to kill a woman and that the entire act was staged to resemble a road accident.
This confession led investigators to the larger conspiracy behind the murder. The conspiracy unfolds Police discovered that five individuals had gathered near the Chintaman Bridge on the Ujjain-Indore Ring Road to plan the killing.
According to investigators, Swati was lured to a pre-decided location. As soon as she got down from an auto-rickshaw, a woman named Uma confirmed her presence over a phone call, signaling others to execute the plan. The ‘mastermind’ who shocked everyone During interrogation, one name repeatedly surfaced — a man referred to as “Sardar,” believed to be the mastermind of the plot.
Further investigation revealed that “Sardar” was Sukhiwinder Khanuja, a person known to the victim. Shockingly, he was also the one who first identified Swati after the incident and helped take her to the hospital, portraying himself as a close acquaintance. Love, conflict, and allegations behind the murder As the investigation progressed, details of Swati and Sukhiwinder’s relationship emerged.
According to Swati’s father, the two had known each other for years, but their relationship deteriorated after 2017. Swati had filed a rape case against Sukhiwinder, although he was later acquitted.
Tensions continued to rise between them, involving threats, disputes, and alleged pressure for compromise. Accused claims innocence After his arrest, Sukhiwinder denied all allegations and presented a different version of events.
He claimed that Swati was pressuring him to marry her despite his existing marriage. When he refused, she allegedly filed a false case and demanded ₹50 lakh.
He also alleged that Swati was mentally unstable and had attempted suicide multiple times. Evidence points to conspiracy While statements from the accused varied, technical evidence told a different story.
Call detail records confirmed that all accused were in constant contact with each other before and after the incident. Their location data also placed them at the crime scene.
Two Dhaba workers, Sanjay and Pankaj, initially claimed innocence, but their involvement surfaced during the investigation, completing the chain of conspiracy. Prior complaints indicated escalating conflict Police records showed that complaints had already been filed by both sides before the murder.
Swati had alleged threats to her life from Sukhiwinder, while he had accused her of pressuring him for marriage and money.
Investigators concluded that the murder was not sudden but the result of a long-standing conflict that escalated into a criminal conspiracy. How the murder plot was executed According to police, Sukhiwinder planned the murder with close associates. Dhaba workers were roped in, and Wahid was brought in from Indore through another accused, Sameer.
An advance payment of ₹20,000 was made initially, and the group waited for the right opportunity to carry out the plan. Court verdict: Life imprisonment for all six accused After the investigation, the case went to trial. Witness testimonies, call records, and the sequence of events established the conspiracy.
On September 25, 2024, the Ujjain District Court delivered its verdict, convicting all six accused — Sukhiwinder Khanuja, Wahid, Sameer, Pankaj, Sanjay, and Uma — of murder and criminal conspiracy. All were sentenced to life imprisonment.