In a shocking case of murder stemming from a dispute over an illicit affair, a 47-year-old businessman, Imamuddin Ghesasi Mansuri, was allegedly strangled to death by his girlfriend—who was also a relative. The incident occurred in a hotel room in Malad, Mumbai. After the crime, the accused attempted to mislead the police by sending a message from the victim’s phone, claiming he had died by suicide.
The Dindoshi Police have registered a case of murder against the accused, Barkat Rathod, and launched a manhunt. Barkat, a native of Jaipur, was traced to Surat, Gujarat, and brought back to Mumbai for further investigation.
According to police, the murder took place on Sunday, May 4, between 1:30 PM and 3 PM, in Room No. 106 of Shalimar Hotel near Malad railway station. The complaint was filed by the victim’s 23-year-old son, Ahmad Raza Imamuddin Mansuri, who lives in Naya Nagar, Mira Road. The deceased, Imamuddin, was an interior decorator by profession.
At around 4 PM that day, the family received a WhatsApp message from Imamuddin’s phone stating he was taking his own life due to mental distress. Concerned, his son contacted police and asked for help locating him.
Police traced him to Shalimar Hotel, where officers found Imamuddin unconscious. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and declared dead. Initially, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) was filed, and his body was sent for autopsy.
However, the post-mortem report revealed that Imamuddin had been strangled. Injury marks on his neck and scratch wounds indicated a violent struggle.
Further investigation uncovered that Imamuddin was in an illicit relationship with Barkat Rathod, the wife of his brother-in-law. The two had checked into the hotel together that morning. Barkat had reportedly faced social ostracism due to the affair and was estranged from her husband.
Police said she called Imamuddin to the hotel under the pretext of a meeting. An argument broke out, and during the confrontation, she strangled him. She then sent a suicide message from his phone and fled.
Using mobile tracking, police traced her to Surat. A Dindoshi police team detained her and brought her back to Mumbai. During questioning, she confessed to the murder.
Investigations are ongoing.
