Man accused of killing wife, hiding body in fridge before fleeing to India faces trial

The District and Appeals Court complex on Prins Clauslaan in The Hague. 2016 - Credit: - License: All Rights Reserved Crime Thursday, 8 October 2026 - 20:20

Avadhootkumar S., 47, will be tried in absentia for allegedly killing his wife in The Hague in 2019. This emerged during a preliminary hearing in the case on Thursday. S. is accused of strangling the 37-year-old woman and hiding her body in a refrigerator at their home on Frambozenstraat.

The suspect allegedly fled to his native India with his two children after the killing, later leaving the children with relatives before continuing his journey alone. S. has remained at large ever since. He was not represented by a lawyer during Thursday's hearing at The Hague District Court.

The Netherlands has tried to establish contact with India through various channels in recent years, the prosecutor said. Dutch authorities also formally requested S.'s extradition, but India never responded to the request, according to the prosecutor.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has nevertheless decided to bring the case to court because it considers it important to reach a conclusion in the case.

S. arrived in the Netherlands with his family in early May 2019. He stopped showing up for work on May 17, and his employer reported him missing three days later.

When three of S.'s colleagues went to his home, they noticed that the dishwasher in the kitchen had been pushed against the refrigerator door. A pot lid was wedged between the two appliances, while a black scarf attached to the wall was tied to the refrigerator handle.

The police were alerted after the discovery. A day later, officers found the woman's body "folded up" inside the refrigerator. She is believed to have died from strangulation, but her body also showed signs of hypothermia because the refrigerator was still running.

The substantive hearing in the case is scheduled for May 13, 2027.

Reporting by ANP