Tandoor Murder Case: 1 Chilling True Crime Story from Delhi’s Dark Past

Now, most people, after committing such a crime, would either flee, panic, or surrender. But what Sharma did next took the crime from shocking to terrifying. Instead of calling the police or processing what he had done, he decided he needed to erase the evidence. And his method? Something so barbaric, it still turns stomachs to this day.

He wrapped Naina’s body in plastic, loaded it into his car, and drove to Bagiya Restaurant at Ashok Yatri Niwas — a place he was familiar with and where he knew the manager, Keshav Kumar. He asked for access to the kitchen. Then, in a move that can only be described as chilling, he attempted to burn her body in the restaurant’s clay tandoor oven — the same type of oven used to make naan and kebabs.

The smell of burning flesh and the thick smoke rising from the chimney didn’t go unnoticed. A patrolling policeman, sensing something was off, approached the restaurant. And that’s when the horror began to unfold. Inside the tandoor, partially burned, were human remains — what was left of Naina Sahni.

Initially, the autopsy suggested she died from burns. But a second, more thorough post-mortem examination revealed bullet wounds. It was now clear: she hadn’t been burned alive — she had been murdered first and then burnt in a desperate attempt to destroy the evidence.

The case made headlines across the country. Delhi Police launched a manhunt for Sushil Sharma, who had disappeared after dumping the body. Nine days later, he surrendered in Bangalore. His arrest triggered a long and highly publicized trial. The media dubbed it “The Tandoor Murder Case,” and people everywhere followed each detail as it unfolded in court.

In 2003, the trial court found Sushil Sharma guilty and sentenced him to death. Four years later, in 2007, the Delhi High Court upheld the sentence. But in 2013, the Supreme Court commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment. The court observed that though the crime was brutal, it was a result of personal rage and not a threat to public safety at large. They classified it as a “crime of passion” — one born out of jealousy and emotional breakdown.

Then, in 2018, after spending over two decades in prison, Sharma was released based on good conduct and the time he had already served. The news of his release stirred public debate once again, reminding everyone of the brutality of the case and raising questions about justice and rehabilitation.

The Tandoor Murder Case is not just a crime story. It’s a disturbing reflection of what unchecked emotions, obsession, and power can do to a person. It’s about a woman whose life was cut short not by fate, but by a man she trusted. It’s about a society that watched in disbelief as the story unfolded on TV screens and newspapers. And it’s a reminder — one we wish we didn’t need — that monsters don’t always wear masks. Sometimes, they wear suits and sit in offices of power.

Even today, whenever someone mentions the “Tandoor Kand,” a chill runs down the spine. Because while many crimes are forgotten over time, some are just too cruel to ever be erased.