Ahmedabad: The partially burnt body of a man discovered near a pond in Patan on Tuesday has turned out to be a chilling case of murder. It is revealed that a 22-year-old married woman from Patan district allegedly killed the man with the help of her lover to fake her own death by dressing the corpse in her traditional attire and jewellery and setting it on fire. The woman and her paramour were arrested early Wednesday at Palanpur railway station while attempting to flee the state, police said.According to officials, the incident occurred in Jakhotra village of Santalpur taluka in Patan. The partially burnt body was discovered late Tuesday night near a pond, triggering panic in the village.Initially, the woman’s family believed it to be her body, as the attire on the corpse, like the ghagra and anklets, belonged to the woman. However, upon closer inspection, police realised that the body was of a man. Police later identified the deceased as Harji Solanki, a 56-year-old man from neighbouring Vauva village, who lived a nomadic lifestyle.Following the discovery, Patan police launched an investigation and tracked down the suspects to Palanpur railway station, where they were waiting to board a train to Rajasthan. The accused — Geeta Ahir and her 21-year-old lover Bharat Ahir — were detained, and during questioning, they confessed to the crime, police said.Patan superintendent of police V K Nayi told reporters that Geeta was inspired by the plot of Hindi films Drishyam and its sequel Drishyam 2. “She wanted to escape her marriage and live with Bharat. So, she hatched a plan to fake her death by using another person’s body,” he said.According to the police, Bharat searched for a suitable victim as part of the plan. On May 26, Bharat met the victim Solanki and offered him a ride on his motorcycle. He then took Solanki to a secluded place and allegedly strangled him. Two days later, Geeta left her home at night while her family was asleep and met Bharat at the designated spot near the pond. They dressed the body in Geeta’s clothes and anklets and poured petrol on it before burning it.The plan was to convince the family members and community that Geeta died and then flee to Jodhpur by train. However, investigators quickly connected the dots and intercepted them at the railway station.Police registered a case of murder, and further investigation is underway. Authorities are examining whether the accused have any prior criminal background or got help from others. The case triggered shock and concern across the region, especially due to the nature of the crime and how the youngsters were influenced by film plots and decided to take such a drastic step.