Testimony in Salma Sultana Murder Case Reveals Chilling Details Five Years After Journalist’s Killing

An eyewitness has told a Chhattisgarh court that the accused calmly hummed the victim’s favourite song right after strangling journalist Salma Sultana in 2018, revealing shocking behaviour uncovered during the ongoing trial.

What the Witness Told the Court

Five years after journalist Salma Sultana was killed and secretly buried under a road in Korba, Chhattisgarh, a dramatic testimony in court has stunned observers.

An eyewitness, Komal Singh Rajput, told the court that accused Madhur Sahu showed no fear or remorse after allegedly strangling Salma during an argument in 2018. Instead, she said, he stood beside her lifeless body, lit a cigarette and began humming her favourite song, “Tujhe Naraz Nahi Main Zindagi, Hairaan Hoon Main…” from the film Masoom.

According to the testimony, Komal had been invited to Salma’s home on the day of the attack, which began as a heated argument between Salma and Madhur, who was her live-in partner. She said Madhur strangled Salma once, followed by co-accused Kaushal Shrivas, who pressed a pillow over her mouth to silence her when Komal tried to intervene.

Komal said she was warned, “Stay quiet, or you’ll meet the same fate,” before the room fell silent and Salma died.

Efforts to Fake Disappearance

Komal also told the court that after the murder, Madhur forced her and a household maid to send messages from Salma’s phone to her family, suggesting that she had left on her own. The phone was then switched off, creating the false impression that Salma had disappeared voluntarily.

The witness further alleged that Madhur stored compromising photographs of several women on his computer and used them for blackmail. She said she had tried to alert a police officer and a relative of Salma’s about the murder, but was threatened into silence.

How the Body Was Found

Investigators say that the accused buried Salma’s body under a road under construction near Bhawani Dabri. For five years, vehicles travelled over that stretch unaware that her remains lay beneath.

The case was reopened in 2023, when police used Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and satellite-based mapping technology. The road was excavated and a skeleton was recovered; DNA tests confirmed that the remains belonged to Salma.

Trial Progress and Evidence

Public Prosecutor Sunil Sonwani told the court that 41 witnesses have already deposed, with more expected. Prosecutors say the charge sheet and forensic evidence have significantly strengthened the case.

Komal’s testimony — especially the part about Madhur humming the song after the killing — has become a focal point in the trial, highlighting both the brutality of the alleged crime and the mindset of the accused.

Ongoing Court Proceedings

The trial is approaching its final arguments. Once the verdict is delivered, it will bring a long chapter of uncertainty and grief to a close — a chapter that haunts Korba and Salma’s family five years after her disappearance.