The perfect marriage, a goal for so many of us. To find that one person that they can spend their life with. Seldom do people find such a partner, but when they do, two worlds meet in remarkable union. What happens when that one person is taken away from you? What happens when that oh-so-perfect partner is no more? Well, this is one such story. The story of union that was simply never meant to be; this is the story of Mitesh and Jessica Patel.

By the time June 2020 rolled around with the pandemic in full swing, Bollywood had already lost two major film stars in Irfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor when suddenly, on the 14th of June, the news of another death flashed on every Indian’s TV screen and this one took the country by storm. 34 year old Bollywood superstar Sushant Singh Rajput found dead in his apartment. The reason for his death? Suicide by hanging. But was it? If you’ve wondered the answer to this question for 3 years now, you’ve come to the right place.

When you visit an Indian restaurant and look through the awfully long menu, there is one type of food item that always stands out (us desis are in fact known for this around the world)— the tandoor. From tandoori naan to tandoori chicken, and tandoori paneer for all our vegetarian listeners out there, the tandoor is an integral part of any brown kid’s childhood. But this seemingly innocent cylindrical clay oven found itself embroiled in a case that captured and haunted Delhiites for years. A case about love, hate and an impeccable investigation conducted by the Delhi police in the late 90s. This is the story of that clay oven; this is the story of the Tandoor murder.

On September 8, 2017, a 7-year-old child was found dead inside a famous school in Gurugram. Soon it became obvious that his death was no accident. The deep cut on his neck and the knife found at the scene pointed to a sinister plot. Until recently, the Haryana police paraded their murderer and declared the case closed. But did they accuse the right person? Did bus conductor Ashok Kumar murder Pradyuman after a failed attempt at sexually assaulting the child? Or was this story far more complicated than it seemed?

On September 8 2017, a loving father drove his two kids—his 7-year-old son and his 11-year-old daughter— to school just like any other morning. He smiled and waved goodbye to his children just before 8:00am, and barely 20 minutes later, his life had changed forever. His world had come crashing down in front of his eyes. This is the story of his 7-year-old child. This is the story of Pradyuman Thakur.

Zainab is on the run. Her siblings are terrified. Shafia is plotting a mass murder. But how did a plan to murder Zainab and possibly Rona develop into a plan to murder Sahar and Geeti too? How did they bring Zainab back from the shelter? What went down inside that Nissan Sentra just moments before it drowned, killing 4 women? And what was it all for? Find out in part 3 of The Shafia Family Murders.

A brother, a mother and father are grieving their daughters’ deaths. It appears that Zainab, Sahar, and Geeti died in a bizarre accident; their black nissan was found drowned in a Lock in Kingston, Canada. But police questioning and investigation unfurls this accident more; suggesting inklings of something way more sinister. Good the grieving family be an act? Do Hamed, Shafia and Tooba know more than they are telling? Find out in Pt.2 of The Desi Crime Podcast.

Imagine you’re on a roadtrip with your family. Your father’s driving well below the speed limit, stickler for the law that he is; your mum’s insisting you eat the food she brought from home instead of the McDonald’s drive-thru meal; your younger sibling’s belligerently asking how far you have left to go. You’re tuned into your headset, staring into the horizon, when suddenly the landscape changes. You’re underwater. Your car is drowning, and you and your family are drowning along with it. This is what one Afghan family went through in Canada back in 2009. What seemed to be a tragedy soon betrayed inklings of a sinister plot. Was this an accident, or was it just made to look like one? This is the story of the Shafia Family Murders.

On the evening of April 14, 2008 a family of eight in the small village of Bawankheri, Uttar Pradesh was getting ready for bed with their nightly ritual of tea. Seven of the eight of them, including a 10-month-old baby, never woke up to see another day. The sole surviving member, 23-year-old Shabnam Ali, was hysterical, her entire family gone in an instant. This is the story of a brutal mass murder, a love story, and a court verdict that made history in independent India. This is the story of Shabnam Ali.

We are naturally drawn to stories with a Romeo and Juliet archetype — forbidden love breaking through the shackles of society to ignite the sparks of passion. But let’s not forget how their Shakespearean saga ends: with their tragic death. Our protagonists today, Mithu and Jassi, bear all the same hallmarks. As passionate as their love was, it faced an even more passionate fervor to repress them. This is the story of tradition forcing love toward death. Welcome to Part 2!

The 29th of May looked like it would pass uneventfully until shocking news shook India: armed assailants had shot and killed Punjabi cultural icon and hip-hop star Sidhu Moosewala. The 28-year-old died after being shot 24 times. But this is no simple story of senseless violence. This is a story of revenge, politics, gangs, guns, and Khalistan. This is the story of Sidhu Moosewala, a young man whose music took a country by storm.

We are naturally drawn to stories with a Romeo and Juliet archetype — forbidden love breaking through the shackles of society to ignite the sparks of passion. But let’s not forget how their Shakespearean saga ends: with their tragic death. Our protagonists today, Mithu and Jassi, bear all the same hallmarks. As passionate as their love was, it faced an even more passionate fervor to repress them. This is the story of tradition forcing love toward death.

When 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four American planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, it was almost certain death and destruction would follow. Almost 3,000 people died during the attacks, including 41 from India. Hundreds of thousands of Indians were working and living in New York on that fateful day, including Sneha Philip, a 31-year-old doctor. Sneha was last seen walking the streets of Manhattan the morning of the attacks, before vanishing into thin air. This is the story of Sneha Philip’s mysterious disappearance.

When 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four American planes and crashed them into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, it was almost certain death and destruction would follow. Almost 3,000 people died during the attacks, including 41 from India. Hundreds of thousands of Indians were working and living in New York on that fateful day, including Sneha Philip, a 31-year-old doctor. Sneha was last seen walking the streets of Manhattan the morning of the attacks, before vanishing into thin air. This is the story of Sneha Philip’s mysterious disappearance.

This is a story from Pakistan, a story of a woman just like a lot of us. She was in love and living a happy life. She had a loving sister, doting parents and a relationship of 3 years. But by early 2021, something had shifted in Noor’s life. Something was wrong and the people around, the people close to her could sense it. What the people around Noor didn’t know was that she was about to become a symbol of feminism and the rights of women in a patriarchal society. Noor would go down in history. This is her story.