On Saturday night, the police arrested gym trainer Vimal Soni after collecting evidence of his involvement in the murder of Ekta Gupta
A gym trainer, reportedly involved in an affair with a married woman, is accused of taking her life and concealing her body in a pit close to the DM’s camp office-cum-residence in Civil Lines. Drawing inspiration from the crime thriller Drishyam, he believed the location would deter police attention. For four months, Vimal Soni’s plan appeared to succeed—until the authorities eventually uncovered the truth, leading to his arrest on Saturday night.
Who is Vimal Soni as Kanpur gym trainer murders ex-lover Ekta Gupta, husband of Rahul Gupta
Why Vimal Soni killed Ekta Gupta?
In a disturbing incident from Kanpur, inspired by the Bollywood movie Drishyam, a man allegedly killed a 32-year-old woman with whom he had a relationship and buried her body in a high-profile area after she protested his engagement to another woman. Authorities reported that the body of Ekta Gupta was recovered near the residence of Kanpur’s District Magistrate (DM) following a tip-off from her gym trainer, Vishal Soni, who had been taken into custody after Ekta’s husband, Rahul Gupta, a businessman who lived in Gopal Vihar filed a complaint.
Vishal worked as a gym trainer in the Green Park Stadium and lived in Shankar Mill Khalwa in Raipura. Soni was arrested near the Jhadi Baba bridge.
🚨 Gym Trainer kills businessman’s wife in #Kanpur, watches #Drishyam movie for ideas to dispose off the body
4 months ago, #VimalSoni killed Ekta, wife of Rahul Gupta. After killing her, he broke into DM campus to bury her body at the officers club where they played every day. pic.twitter.com/K4oTdrGZuz
— Political Quest (@PoliticalQuestX) October 27, 2024
Soni and 32 year old Ekta were reportedly involved in a relationship, with Ekta objecting to his upcoming arranged marriage which was fixed for May next year with the Tilak ceremony already held. On June 24, the two were seen on CCTV leaving the gym after a heated argument. Later, police sources revealed, Soni struck Ekta during the altercation, causing her to faint. He then allegedly killed her and buried the body near the Kanpur DM’s residence, reportedly inspired by scenes from Drishyam, believing the location might divert suspicion.
About the police investigation, Singh said it was difficult to trace the accused as he did not use a mobile phone after the crime with teams dispatched to three cities which included Punjab, Pune and Agra to trace the accused.
Kanpur Police officials confirmed that Soni faces charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The police stated that they recovered Ekta’s body based on Soni’s guidance, and her family later identified her.
However, Rahul Gupta, Ekta’s husband, dismissed any claims of a romantic relationship between his wife and Soni, asserting instead that this was a kidnapping case. He reported Ekta’s abduction twice through media appeals over the last four months. Following the incident, Kanpur Police initiated a citywide verification drive targeting gym trainers, aiming to strengthen security and prevent similar occurrences.
A woman’s body was retrieved from near the #Kanpur District Magistrate’s bungalow, four months after she was allegedly murdered.
The accused #VimalSoni, a gym trainer in the #GreenPark area, confessed during questioning by the police that he had buried the body of the… pic.twitter.com/U9b9jLFZwp
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) October 27, 2024