On December 19, 2017, in Jalore, Rajasthan, building contractor Deep Ram doused his car with petrol and set it on fire with his two wives, Malu Devi and Dauli, locked inside. Deep Ram initially told police that the vehicle suffered a technical fault and auto-locked during an accidental fire while returning from a jewelry store. However, police grew suspicious of his publicized shopping trip, the lack of CCTV or eyewitnesses, and his statement. A forensic re-examination revealed petrol traces inside the car cabin. Under interrogation, Deep Ram confessed that he had planned to murder his second wife, Dauli, due to persistent marital conflicts arising from his lie that his first wife was dead. When his first wife, Malu Devi, unexpectedly joined the shopping trip, Deep Ram decided to murder both women to eliminate Dauli and prevent suspicion. Deep Ram was convicted by a trial court and sentenced to life imprisonment, which he has appealed in the High Court.
Country: India
State/Province: Rajasthan, India
City/Region: Jalore
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Married
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Incident Date: Dec. 19, 2017
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How the relationship or connection began.
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2017-12-19
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English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Crime Tak - India · Original language: Hindi
EP 2131:पहला पति जिसने अपनी दो पत्नियों का क़त्ल एक साथ किया, वो पहली बीवी को मारना नहीं चाहता था
Domestic Conflict
Deep Ram deceived his second wife Dauli and her family by claiming his first wife was deceased. When Dauli discovered the truth, persistent conflict ensued. Deep Ram plotted to murder Dauli to end the ongoing friction and decided to also murder his first wife Malu Devi when she unexpectedly joined the trip, reasoning that killing both would eliminate suspicion.
Police initially suspected an accidental vehicle fire caused by auto-lock malfunction. Suspicion arose due to Deep Ram publicly announcing his jewelry trip to create an alibi, selecting a location without CCTVs, and forensic analysis finding petrol inside the cabin. Deep Ram confessed to arson and double murder. He was convicted by the trial court and sentenced to life imprisonment, which he appealed in the High Court.
Investigators were initially misled by Deep Ram's minor burn injuries and his claim that the car suffered a mechanical defect and auto-locked during an unexpected fire. The initial absence of obvious foul play or third-party suspects prolonged the accidental fire theory until forensic findings forced a re-interrogation.
On December 18, 2017, after a heated argument with Dauli, Deep Ram purchased two liters of petrol and lured Dauli with a jewelry purchase promise. When Malu Devi insisted on coming along, Deep Ram resolved to kill both wives. After buying jewelry, he drove to an isolated area in Jalore, doused the cabin in petrol, locked the doors, set it ablaze, and burned his hands to fake a rescue attempt.
Long-standing deceit, bigamy, escalating verbal altercations, and deliberate planning using accelerants culminated in an extreme lethality event where the perpetrator doused his vehicle with petrol and burned both wives alive.
Perpetrators of domestic violence may stage fatal incidents as technical failures or vehicle fires. Broadcasted declarations of goodwill, such as public announcements of expensive gifts, can serve as calculated cover stories.
Deep Ram explicitly announced to several relatives that he was taking both wives shopping for jewelry on the morning of the incident, an unusual public broadcast for a personal family outing.
Forensic recovery of petrol inside the car cabin, the presence of dark tinted window glass, and the selection of a stretch of road unmonitored by CCTV cameras.
Forensic chemical analysis showing petrol traces in the passenger interior, jewelry shop confirmation, and Deep Ram's detailed confession.
Villagers reported hearing Deep Ram shouting for help and attempting to douse the burning car with buckets of water. They noted the car was already on fire before coming to a complete stop.
Initial reports of an accidental fire were overturned when forensic analysis confirmed petrol inside the cabin, leading police to interrogate Deep Ram directly until he confessed to double homicide.
The status of Deep Ram's appeal in the High Court against his life imprisonment sentence remains pending.