A government doctor in Madhya Pradesh allegedly used a technique seen in TV show Breaking Bad to kill his driver, cut his body into over two dozen pieces and put them in a drum filled with acid to dissolve them, police said on Tuesday.
 
They said the accused, having an illicit affair with the victim’s wife, wanted the driver out of the way.
 
The doctor was caught red-handed while throwing the body pieces into a drum full of acid after his neighbour informed the police suspecting the doctor’s suspicious movements on Tuesday afternoon. The incident took place in Hoshangabad.
 
Hoshangabad city superintendent of police Arvind Saxena said, “The accused Dr Sunil Mantri (58), who lives in Anand Nagar, an upscale locality in Hoshangabad, has confessed to killing his servant, Birendra alias Biru Pachauri (30).”
 
Saxena said Mantri, a widower, is posted at the civil hospital in Itarsi and used to live alone in his two storied house in Anand Nagar. His wife had died in April, 2017, and his 26-year old son and 23-year-old daughter work in Mumbai.
 
Police said Mantri’s late wife and Biru’s wife used to run a boutique together at his Anand Nagar house since 2010.
 
After his wife’s death, Biru’s wife continued running the boutique alone and he allegedly developed illicit relations with her. Biru got suspicious about their alleged affair and threatened Mantri that he would expose him, police said.
 
”It is possible, that Biru was extorting money from Mantri,” Saxena said, adding that Biru’s wife will be questioned in this regard.
 
Quoting Mantri’s alleged confession, police said, Mantri decided to kill Biru so that he could continue his relationship with his wife.
 
Police said Mantri somehow convinced Biru to become his driver, saying that if he stayed with him all day he would know that he and his wife were not having an affair.
 
Monday was Biru’s first day at work. They went to Itarsi civil hospital, some 20 km from Hoshangabad, and returned in the evening. At home, Biru reportedly complained of tooth ache and Mantri gave him a strong pain killer injection, making him feel drowsy.
 
Taking advantage of his situation, Mantri first cut Biru’s throat with a knife and then chopped his body into two dozen pieces with the help of a saw, which he had brought a few days ago. As part of his plan, Mantri had already purchased acid bottles to dissolve the body parts and erase all evidence.
 
Police said neighbours became suspicious of his activities throughout late Monday and on Tuesday morning as he was coming in and out of his house and looked very agitated. They informed the police who came knocking on his door on Tuesday.
 
They confronted Mantri who still had blood on his shirt and when they searched the first floor, they found the drum filled with acid and body parts, Saxena said.