Archive · 26 Jul 2026
Shakereh Khaleeli Murder Case: Buried Alive in Bengaluru
Shakereh Khaleeli was a wealthy and influential woman in Bengaluru, India.
She married a man named Murali Manohar Mishra, who was known as Swami Shradhananda.
After they married, he started controlling her money and properties.
In 1991, Shakereh disappeared, and her husband told her family she had gone traveling.
For three years, no one knew what had happened to her.
Finally, in 1994, the police found her remains buried in a box under the courtyard of her own home.
Investigators believed she had been buried alive.
Her husband was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison.
The case was so shocking that it was featured in a TV show called Dancing on the Grave.
Shakereh Khaleeli, a wealthy socialite, disappeared in April 1991.
Her husband, Murali Manohar Mishra, claimed she was traveling but was later found buried alive under their home in May 1994.
Investigators believed Shakereh was drugged, placed in a wooden box, and buried alive.
Shradhananda was convicted of murder and initially sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment.
The case was featured in the Amazon Prime Video docuseries Dancing on the Grave.
- Who
- Shakereh Khaleeli, a wealthy socialite and real estate developer, and her second husband Murali Manohar Mishra (Swami Shradhananda).
- What
- Shakereh Khaleeli was buried alive in her own home by her husband, Murali Manohar Mishra.
- When
- Shakereh disappeared in April 1991, and her remains were discovered in May 1994.
- Where
- The crime took place in Bengaluru, India.
- Why
- The prosecution argued that the motive was greed, as Shradhananda sought to gain control over Shakereh's wealth and properties.
Prosecution's Argument
Defense's Argument
Motive
Prosecution's Argument
The prosecution argued that Shradhananda's actions were driven by greed, aiming to gain control over Shakereh's wealth and properties.
Defense's Argument
The defense likely argued that there was insufficient evidence to prove the motive of greed beyond a reasonable doubt.
Premeditation
Prosecution's Argument
The prosecution claimed the murder was meticulously planned and executed, with the grave beneath the courtyard being central to the plan.
Defense's Argument
The defense might have argued that the evidence did not conclusively prove premeditation, suggesting it could have been an impulsive act.
- Victim
- Shakereh Khaleeli
- Perpetrator
- Murali Manohar Mishra (Swami Shradhananda)
- Date of Disappearance
- April 1991
- Date of Discovery
- May 1994
- Location
- Bengaluru, India
- Sentence
- Life imprisonment without remission
- Docuseries
- Dancing on the Grave (Amazon Prime Video)