Mushtaq Posed as ‘Ajit’ to Marry Woman, Cut her Head in Uttarakhand; Only Torso Found near Nepal border

Gurugram Police have reached Uttarakhand with accused Mushtaq, also known as Ajeet, who is on six-day police remand in connection with the murder of his live-in partner Pooja. The police team is searching for Pooja's severed head in the Nanda Canal with assistance from local Uttarakhand police.

It was near this canal that Mushtaq had severed Pooja's head from her body. After the murder, he wrapped the head in a plastic bag and threw it into the canal, while bundling the torso and discarding it under a bridge. Gurugram Police have recovered Pooja's torso but haven't found the head yet. Mushtaq Ahmad was arrested by Police on April 30 after searching for him for months. 

Here's a chronological account of the entire case: 

Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Gaurikheda in Sitarganj, Uttarakhand, first met Pooja, who lived in Bengali Colony in Nanakmatta, on a Rudrapur Roadways bus in 2022. He introduced himself as "Ajeet" and gradually developed a relationship with her. He even took her several times in his taxi to visit her ailing mother. Eventually, the couple began living together in Gurugram. To avoid raising suspicions about their living arrangement, Mushtaq staged a fake marriage ceremony with Pooja in September 2024.

Just one month after this fake marriage, Mushtaq returned to Sitarganj in October 2024 and married a Muslim woman in his community. To keep his double life secret, he would travel between Gurugram and Sitarganj, claiming work commitments. When Pooja discovered this deception, she went to Mushtaq's home in Sitarganj and caused a scene. Both of them were asked to leave the house after a panchayat meeting was called in the Village. After this incident Mushtaq planned Pooja's murder.

The Murder

According to police, Mushtaq took Pooja to his sister's house in Khatima on November 15, 2024. The next day, he brought her to a secluded spot near the Nanda Canal in Udham Singh Nagar district on the pretext of sightseeing. There, he brutally murdered her despite her pleas for mercy, continuing to strike her neck until her head was completely severed from her body. He wrapped Pooja's head in a plastic bag and threw it in the canal thinking that it will be difficult to identify the body without the head. 

Sister Filed Missing Complaint in Gurugram 

Pooja's sister Purnima arrived in Gurugram on December 19, 2024, and filed a missing person report at Sector-5 Police Station. When police checked Pooja's call records, they found Mushtaq's number with whom she had been in regular contact. A team was sent to Uttarakhand to locate Mushtaq, but discovered he had fled. Further investigation revealed that he had been living with Pooja under a false identity, and their last known locations were the same. 

Accused Arrested After Five Month of Search

After five-and-a-half months of searching, with help from Uttarakhand Police, Gurugram Police finally arrested Mushtaq from his village Gaurikheda based on informant tips. During interrogation, it was discovered that he had been evading police by moving between Karnataka and Nepal. On April 30, he led police to Pooja's headless body in Uttarakhand. Her brother Ashish Vishwas identified the body by her clothes and dupatta.

The Station House Officer of Gurugram stated that Pooja's body was found in a highly decomposed state. The body has been sent to Haldwani Medical College for DNA testing. With the accused now on six-day remand, police are making efforts to recover Pooja's head. A team has been sent to Uttarakhand, where Gurugram Police will conduct another search operation with Uttarakhand Police. Recovering the head is crucial for police as it would conclusively establish the victim's identity, providing strong evidence in court to secure a conviction against Mushtaq Ahmad. 

Timeline of the Events :

• 2022: Mushtaq Ahmad meets Pooja on a Rudrapur-Gurugram bus, falsely introducing himself as "Ajit"
• September 2024: Conducts fake marriage ceremony with Pooja
• October 2024: Secretly marries a Muslim woman in his hometown Sitarganj
• November 15, 2024: Takes Pooja to his sister's house in Khatima
• November 16, 2024: Murders and decapitates Pooja near Nanda Canal
• December 19, 2024: Pooja's sister files missing person report in Gurugram
• April 30, 2025: Police recover Pooja's headless remains
• May 2025: Mushtaq arrested in Sitarganj after 5 andhalf months evading authorities 

Pooja's sister Purnima has accused Mushtaq of fooling her sister from the beginning by using a false name to establish a relationship. She alleged that Mushtaq lived off Pooja's earnings and had even purchased a plot of land and a motorcycle in Sitarganj with her money after promising to spend his life with her. The family is demanding the death penalty for Mushtaq for the brutal murder of Pooja.