Man kills live-in partner after discovering 'woman' he met on social media was gay

What began as an romance on social media ended in a murder in Gujarat's Rajkot, with a 20-year-old man allegedly killing his live-in partner after discovering that the person he believed was a woman was, in fact, a gay, police said.

Police identified the accused as Piyush Kumar Kharwar, a native of Uttar Pradesh, and the victim as Chandan Kumar. The case came to light on June 25, when a highly decomposed body dressed in women's clothing was found near a railway wall. While the death was initially treated as accidental, a forensic post-mortem revealed fatal head injuries, prompting a murder investigation.

Police said Piyush had been in a relationship for nearly three years with Chandan Kumar after the two connected on social media while he was working in Hyderabad. According to investigators, Chandan introduced himself as a woman, using the name "Nisha Kumar" on Facebook and "Poonam" on Instagram.

Believing Chandan to be a woman, Piyush started a relationship with him and the two later began living together. Police said Chandan allegedly refused physical intimacy, citing religious beliefs, and Piyush believed they shared a husband-wife relationship. The relationship allegedly took a dramatic turn when Piyush saw Chandan shaving and realised that the person he believed was a woman was a gay. The revelation led to frequent arguments between the two, police said.

Investigators said the disputes continued even as Piyush moved for work from Hyderabad to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and later Rajkot district, with Chandan allegedly following him to different locations.

According to police, the two had another heated argument at a factory in Padvala village on June 21. Investigators allege that Piyush later took Chandan to a secluded spot near a railway track and fatally attacked him with large stones before attempting to conceal the body under rocks.

Police said CCTV footage, technical surveillance and human intelligence led investigators to Piyush, who allegedly confessed to the crime during questioning.

Rajkot Rural Superintendent of Police Vijay Singh Gurjar said the accused was arrested based on forensic evidence, CCTV footage and witness statements. A case has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (murder), and further investigation is underway.

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(with inputs from Ronak Majithiya, Rajkot)