A woman allegedly strangled her abusive, alcoholic husband and rushed to convince everyone he had died of a heart attack. But what appeared to be a natural death quickly turned into a murder investigation after a police officer noticed a few tell-tale marks on the body that exposed the alleged cover-up.

The case surfaced from Beed district in Maharashtra, where Nasreen Sharif Pathan was arrested for allegedly killing her husband, Sharif Pathan, after years of alleged abuse. Police say she then spun a heart attack story in a bid to escape suspicion, but the plan unravelled within hours.

According to investigators, Sharif Pathan frequently returned home drunk and allegedly subjected his wife to verbal abuse and physical assault.

Police said the same pattern unfolded on the night of the incident. Intoxicated and allegedly violent, Sharif continued to abuse Nasreen, triggering another heated confrontation inside the house.

As the argument spiralled, Nasreen allegedly grabbed a black electrical wire lying in the house and strangled him to death.

THE HEART ATTACK STORY

With her husband dead, Nasreen allegedly tried to erase every trace of what had happened.

She told relatives that Sharif had suddenly suffered a heart attack and was no longer moving. Believing her, family members helped take him to a government hospital in the middle of the night, where doctors declared him dead.

Police say the entire sequence was meant to make the death appear natural and keep investigators away from a murder angle.

ONE LOOK AT THE BODY CHANGED EVERYTHING

The alleged plot began to collapse when Ambajogai Rural Police Station in-charge Inspector Murlidhar Khokle examined the body.

Police said dark marks around Sharif’s neck and scratch injuries immediately caught the officer’s attention. The injuries did not match the heart attack claim, prompting a detailed interrogation.

During questioning, Nasreen allegedly confessed to strangling her husband.

The post-mortem examination later confirmed that Sharif had died due to strangulation, police said.

SON FILES COMPLAINT, WOMAN ARRESTED

The case was registered on the complaint of the couple’s 24-year-old son, Sahil Sharif Pathan.

Nasreen Sharif Pathan has been booked under Sections 103 and 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

She was produced before a court on Tuesday, which remanded her to three days’ police custody.

The investigation is being led by Police Inspector Santosh Jadhavar. Police said Inspector Khokle, PSI Rahim Chaudhary and other members of the team played a key role in exposing the alleged murder after spotting the suspicious injuries.

– Ends

(With inputs from Rohidas Hathagale)

Published By:

Aprameya Rao

Published On:

Jun 30, 2026 22:03 IST