The Shocking Tale of the Tandoor Murder Case in Delhi

A Night of Horror in Delhi

July 2, 1995 Gol Market, New Delhi Government Flat No. 8/2A 8:30 PM

Suddenly, gunshots echoed from Government Flat No. 8/2A, leading neighbors to believe it was merely firecrackers.

After a brief silence, the flat's door swung open, and a man dragged a heavy object wrapped in plastic out of the flat. He placed it in the trunk of a waiting car and sped off.

The car stopped near Ashok Yatri Niwas in Connaught Place, where diners were still enjoying their meals. The man exited the vehicle and approached the restaurant manager, Keshav.

The Story of the 'Tandoor Murder'
It was none other than Sushil Sharma, the President of the Delhi Youth Congress, and the object in the plastic was his wife, Naina Sahni. Today, we delve into the infamous 'Tandoor Murder' case. Let's start from the beginning.

In 1995, Sushil Sharma was a dedicated member of the Congress Youth Wing. During this time, he met Naina Sahni, and their relationship blossomed into love, leading to marriage. Naina completed her studies at DU and earned a commercial pilot's license, while Sushil was appointed as the Youth Congress president.

Suspicion of Infidelity
However, as time passed, tensions grew between Sushil and Naina. Noticing her frequent phone conversations, Sushil began to suspect that Naina was having an affair. This suspicion led to numerous arguments. Meanwhile, Naina was contemplating her future as a pilot and preparing for a trip to Australia.

On July 2, 1995, while Naina was on the phone with a drink in hand, Sushil returned home.

Naina offered him a drink, but he declined, preoccupied with thoughts of whom she was speaking to. When Naina stepped into another room, Sushil seized the opportunity to pick up the phone and redial. A male voice answered, and Sushil recognized it as that of Matloob Karim.

Who is Matloob Karim? Matloob was the person Sushil suspected of having an affair with Naina. After hanging up, Sushil angrily confronted Naina, demanding to know why her feelings for Matloob hadn't ended. Naina's response was blunt: 'That’s none of your business.' This infuriated Sushil.

In a fit of rage, Sushil grabbed a pistol from the drawer, loaded it, and shot Naina three times—once in the head and once in the neck. Naina collapsed onto the bed, blood pooling on the floor. Sushil, in a state of shock, decided to dispose of her body.

Disposing of the Body at the Restaurant
By 10 PM, Sushil wrapped Naina's body in a bedsheet. He parked his Maruti 800 car near the stairs and transported her body to the trunk. After a brief drive, he reached Nizamuddin's Yamuna Bridge, but heavy traffic prevented him from disposing of the body there. Instead, he drove to his restaurant, Bagiya.

Upon arriving, a panicked Sushil instructed Keshav to close the restaurant. As customers left, the lights were turned off, but the tandoor was still burning. In this area of Connaught Place, it was common for people to dine late into the night, but what was about to happen in that tandoor was unprecedented.

With only Keshav and Sushil inside, Sushil retrieved the plastic from the trunk. Together, they began to dismember Naina's body using restaurant knives, tossing the pieces into the burning tandoor. Due to the tandoor's size, they had to cut the body into smaller parts.

Using Butter to Fuel the Fire
To intensify the flames, Sushil asked Keshav to bring butter, which was readily available. As they added it to the tandoor, the flames surged. However, this attracted the attention of Anaro, a vegetable vendor sleeping on the sidewalk, who mistook the flames for a fire in the restaurant.

Anaro began to scream, alerting Abdul Nazir Gunjoo, a police officer on patrol. Gunjoo rushed to the scene, believing there was a fire, and thus began the horrifying tale that would be recounted for years.

Upon arrival, Gunjoo noticed Sushil fleeing the scene. He questioned Keshav, who claimed he was burning old Congress posters. Gunjoo, suspicious of Keshav's nervousness, ordered the fire to be extinguished. Within ten minutes, the flames were under control. When Gunjoo peered into the tandoor, he was horrified to discover charred body parts. The remains were extracted, and Keshav was interrogated, revealing that the body belonged to Naina. DNA testing confirmed this.

The Death Sentence
The incident was so gruesome that it became the talk of the town the following day. Four police teams were dispatched to locate Sushil, who had gone into hiding. Reports suggested that the police were considering an encounter. Upon learning this, Sushil surrendered on July 10, 1995. The trial commenced, and on November 7, 2003, the district court sentenced Sushil Sharma to death, while Keshav Kumar received a seven-year sentence for his involvement.

Sushil was briefly released on parole in 2015, but after spending 23 years in prison, he was released in December 2018. His current whereabouts remain known only to him and a few family members.