It seems like Amazon Prime Video is all braced up to give a tough competition to global OTT giant Netflix, especially in India. Just like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video has brought a horrifying real-life tale of the infamous murder of Shakereh Khaleeli. To be precise, Dancing On The Grave was released on Amazon Prime Video on April 21, and ever since then, it is getting positive reviews from fans and critics on social media. Dancing On The Grave is a docu-series that revolved around the sensational murder case of Shakereh Khaleeli in Bengaluru that later inspired movies like Drishyam. While keeping Drishyam aside, Dancing On The Grave is directed by Patrick Graham, who had earlier helmed Ghoul and Betaal. It is pertinent to mention here that Dancing On The Grave is produced by India Today Originals which is famous for making horrifying docu-series like Indian Predator. Now, the question arises what is Dancing On The Grave True Story or what is Shakereh Khaleeli murder case or since you have landed here, we are assuming you have watched the docuseries and are eager to know about Swami Shraddhanand. To know the answer continue reading-
Dancing On The Grave real story
Dancing On The Grave revolved around the chilling murder of Shakereh Kaleeli. Shakereh Kaleeli, born in Chennai and based in Bangalore, was a real estate developer who went missing in 1991. With police and neighbours pointing suspicious fingers at her husband Swami Shraddananda, the case of disappearance began gaining media coverage. While Khaleeli went missing in 1991, her case gained traction or let's say media attention in 1994 when after a rigorous three-year-long sting operation, the Karnataka Police could get a confession out of the husband. Previously known as Murali Manohar Mishra, 'Swami Shraddananda' admitted to having murdered his wife. He went on to lead the cops to her remains that he had buried under his own house.
piece together the clues of this #TrueCrimeOnPrime that led to one of the most horrifying murder mysteries ever!
— prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) April 18, 2023
Dancing on the Grave, coming Apr 21@Indiatoday @Aajtak @shamstahirkhan @ChandniAD @thestylewallah pic.twitter.com/uS4VnLKuuR
Shakereh Khaleeli's second marriage and how things went wrong?
Murali Manohar Mishra became a self-styled godman and managed to brainwash Khaleeli. Khaleeli, a real-estate developer had earlier married her first cousin and Indian Foreign Service officer Akbar Khaleeli at the age of 18, back in 1965. Notably, the couple met Shraddananda in 1982 and struck a cordial relationship with the so-called “Swami”. However, when Akbar temporarily moved to Iran for professional reasons, something came upon Khaleeli. Right upon Akbar’s arrival, Khaleeli filed for divorce and six months later, she completely shunned her family and religion to marry Shraddananda in 1986. After her second marriage, Khaleeli continued living in her lavish bungalow on Bangalore’s 81 Richmond Road. The house was shared not just by her new husband but the four daughters she had with Akbar Khaleeli earlier. During Khaleeli's and Swami's married life, they used to get involved in a scuffle, over the daughters of Akbar. In 1991, when Khaleeli mysteriously disappeared, Sabah (Khalleeli and Akbar's daughter) enquired her stepfather, only to get blank responses.
The daughters continued worrying about their missing mother, but Shraddananda continued to lead a fancy life at the bungalow. If any suspicious neighbours would ask him about his wife, he would just answer that Khaleeli has gone on a long vacation. Filled with suspicion and worry by her stepfather’s relaxed attitude, Sabah sought help of the authorities. She filed a habeas corpus petition (unlawful detention or imprisonment) at Bangalore’s Ashok Nagar Police Station. Even when the police showed up at Shraddananda’s door, he managed to evade their questions, giving the authorities little to no room for arrest.
How Shraddananda confessed of killing his wife?
Shraddananda finally gave himself up and let the cat out of the bag. It turns out that on April 28, 1991, he poisoned his wife’s tea with sedatives and then buried her alive over a mattress enclosed within a coffin in a pit in the courtyard. Three years later, when the police found the skeleton, they could find its hand clutching on to a mattress, indicating that she was literally clinging on for dear life while being buried alive. Now, the question arises why Shraddananda buried his own wife alive?
The answer is his greed for property. Born Shakereh Nizami, the real estate agent hailed from a wealthy family and was the granddaughter of a former Diwan of Mysore, Mirza Ismail. The motive to kill her was simple: Shraddananda was after her wealth and property. In 1987, he even got the power of attorney over Khaleeli’s property.
Where is Shraddananda now?
It is pertinent to mention here that Khaleeli’s murder marked a landmark moment in Indian judicial history as this was the first case where DNA testing was used (to identify the victim from the skeleton). This was also the first case where the exhumation process was recorded on video. Shraddananda was arrested in 1994, after Khaleeli's remains were discovered. The trial against Shraddananda began in 1994 and in 2005, he was sentenced to death by hanging. However, a 2006 appeal caused another judgment in 2008 that sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Shraddananda initially served his sentence in Bangalore Central Prison but was moved to Sagar Central Prison in Madhya Pradesh as Sagar is where he hails from. In 2022, the 83-year-old pleaded with the Supreme Court to release him much like how the Rajiv Gandhi killers were set free that year. Having spent 29 years in jail without a single day of parole, Shraddananda's counsel added that he is suffering from multiple ailments.
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