Contractor buried and plastered in wall, aunt held in Malda
Times of India | 3 June 2025
Malda: Malda Police on Monday recovered the body of a 31-year-old labour contractor, who was buried and plastered in a wall of a house in South Dinajpur's Tapan. Police were led to the home by the victim's aunt, Moumita Hasan, a woman in her mid-30s, with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair and business dealings.The victim, Saddam Nadap, left his Malda English Bazar home on May 18, never to return. He dealt with sending labourers to other states.The investigation started after Saddam's wife, Nasrin Khatun, a resident of Malda's Pukhuria, lodged an FIR on May 23, alleging her husband had gone missing. She named a couple from English Bazar — Rahman Nadap and Moumita Hasan — who had business dealings with Saddam, for abducting him.Nasrin alleged that her husband came out of his English Bazar office around 10 pm on May 18 but went missing.Rahman and Moumita were relatives of Saddam and also dealt in supplying labourers to other states. Nasrin told police that she failed to contact them despite repeated attempts. Cops then questioned the couple and learnt that Saddam also had an extramarital relationship with Moumita. The probe also indicated that Saddam could have been murdered.Police pinned their suspicions on Moumita and questioned her continuously until she broke down and led them to the crime scene. The house in Tapan where Saddam's body was found was actually her parental home.Malda police chief Pradeep Yadav said: "The victim and the accused were in some relationship and there was some altercation and blackmailing by the victim."Saddam's body was found hidden in a wall plastered with cement. On Monday, a team of English Bazar Police went to Tapan and, with the help of local police, the body was exhumed in the presence of a judicial magistrate.While talking to the media on way to court, Moumita said: "Saddam used to torture me and blackmailed me regularly. He threatened to kill my husband as well. I became desperate to stop him."Nasrin, however, claimed, "Not only Moumita, but more people are involved in this murder. I want death penalty for all of them."