Mumbai Police Crack 2017 Actor Kritika Chaudhary Murder Case with Arrests
Mumbai, 26th December 2024: On June 12, 2017, Mumbai police discovered the decomposed body of actor Kritika Suresh Chaudhary in her apartment in the Four Bungalows area of Andheri (West). The breakthrough in the case came nearly a month later when officers from Amboli Police Station arrested two suspects on July 10, including a drug peddler’s delivery associate and his fruit vendor accomplice. The arrests were made using a blood-stained shirt found at the crime scene, blurry CCTV footage, and details from Chaudhary’s contacts.
The investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly killed Chaudhary over an unpaid debt of ₹6,000. Neighbours had reported a foul smell coming from her flat, prompting police to discover her body at the Bhairavnath SRA building near the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Investigators estimated she had been murdered two to three days earlier. They found a blood-soaked shirt from a foreign brand, “Royal Premium,” near the body, along with a pair of brass knuckles believed to be the murder weapon. Her jewellery was also missing.
Blurred CCTV footage showed two men entering Chaudhary’s building on June 8. The police traced the origins of the blood-stained shirt and identified one suspect, Shakeel Nasim Khan, with the help of the building’s security guard. Khan, a resident of Govandi, had known Chaudhary for over a year and was previously arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Cell in 2016 for delivering Mephedrone. After his release on bail later that year, Khan reportedly resumed drug dealings, and Chaudhary owed him money. Following demonetization, Khan, facing financial difficulties, began demanding repayment from her.
On the day of the incident, Khan enlisted the help of his friend, Badshah alias Basudas Makamlal Das, a fruit vendor from Nalasopara who was also in need of money. When Chaudhary refused immediate payment, Khan allegedly attacked her with brass knuckles, killing her. He then changed out of his bloodied shirt, leaving it behind, and wore a fresh one he had brought along. Before leaving, they switched on the air conditioner to delay detection of the decomposing body.
Khan later moved to different locations and was arrested in Panvel, while Das was detained in Govandi. Police recovered Chaudhary’s jewellery from Khan and found the key used to lock her flat with Das. The Dindoshi Sessions Court rejected bail pleas for both suspects in September 2018, citing strong evidence against them. In December 2024, the Bombay High Court also denied Das’s bail request.
