In Nalanda, Bihar, 38-year-old painting contractor Sikandar Ram was shot and killed near his residence on the morning of May 30 at 7:15 AM. Initial police inquiries focused on contract killers and commercial rivalries due to the precision of the gunshot. However, call detail record (CDR) analysis revealed that his 28-year-old wife, Julie Devi, engaged in over 80 hours of phone calls across two months—and over three hours on the day of the murder—with her former boyfriend, 40-year-old Jackie Ram. Interrogation revealed that Jackie had recently divorced his wife in Delhi and returned to Nalanda, where he and Julie resumed their affair. Fearing exposure by her husband and family, Julie collaborated with Jackie to murder Sikandar, advising him on using a motorcycle without number plates to mimic a contract killing. Both suspects were arrested following confessions.
Country: India
State/Province: Bihar, India
City/Region: Nalanda
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Extramarital relationship
Relationship Duration: Approximately 7 years (marriage)
Incident Date: May 30, 2025
Relationship Origins:
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Motives:
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How the relationship or connection began.
Approximately 7 years (marriage)
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
2025-05-30
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Infidelity
Julie Devi married Sikandar Ram in an arranged marriage in 2017 despite having previously dated Jackie Ram. Years later, after Jackie divorced his wife and returned to Nalanda, Julie revived her romantic relationship with him. Fearing exposure by her husband and family, Julie collaborated with Jackie to murder Sikandar, attempting to frame the murder as a business-related contract killing.
Police initially struggled due to a lack of immediate local mobile tower data at the scene and focused on local contract killer leads. Analyzing Call Detail Records (CDRs) of family members revealed that Julie Devi spoke with Jackie Ram for over three hours on the day of the murder and 80 hours over two months. Interrogations led to Jackie Ram confessing that he shot Sikandar with the help of a friend who secured the weapon and bike, while Julie coordinated timing and provided guidance to evade suspicion. Both key suspects were arrested, and legal proceedings are underway.
Investigators were initially misled by the precise nature of the firearm attack, suspecting professional contract killers hired by business rivals. Jackie Ram attempted to construct an alibi by leaving his mobile phone inside his house and climbing out a back window to avoid CCTV detection at the front gate, but analysis of call logs ultimately exposed his connection to Julie.
Julie Devi and Jackie Ram renewed their former relationship after Jackie returned from Delhi following a divorce. As their affair intensified, Julie expressed fear that Sikandar would discover the affair. They devised a plan to kill Sikandar, purchasing a firearm through a friend and arranging a bike with removed license plates. On May 30, at 7:15 AM, as Sikandar stepped out of his house, Jackie and his accomplice shot him dead. Police identified the motive and culprits through CDR analysis showing excessive phone contact between Julie and Jackie.
The case illustrates high lethality risk stemming from unresolved past romantic relationships, clandestine long-duration extramarital communications (over 80 hours in two months), and fear of imminent discovery. The co-conspirators deliberately planned a violent firearm attack and created fake alibis to eliminate the spouse.
Secret, high-frequency phone communication between an intimate partner and a former lover serves as a crucial investigative indicator when investigating sudden homicides staged as random or business crimes. Digital forensics and CDR analysis were key in dismantling staged alibis.
High-volume phone communications between Julie Devi and Jackie Ram (over 80 hours across two months) and a three-hour call on the morning of the murder were the critical early signals that raised police suspicion.
Detailed CDR checks revealed persistent contact between Julie Devi and Jackie Ram despite Jackie having no official business or family relationship with the household, contradicting initial assumptions of a commercial rivalry.
Call Detail Records (CDRs) showing intense call duration, CCTV footage near Jackie's house, and detailed confessions obtained during separate interrogations were the strongest evidence.
Neighbors reported hearing gunfire and seeing two unknown assailants flee on a motorcycle, creating initial panic and prompting calls to the police.
Initial assumptions of business enmity or professional hitmen were disproved once CDR analysis connected the victim's wife directly to her ex-boyfriend, shifting the investigation from commercial rivalry to domestic murder conspiracy.
The precise identity and arrest status of Jackie Ram's friend who helped purchase the firearm and participated on the motorcycle remain partially unspecified in the transcript.