Shakereh Khaleeli (née Namazie; 1947–1991) was an Indian real estate developer and philanthropist who was murdered by her second husband, Swami Shradhananda (Murali Manohar Mishra).
Her paternal grandfather was Mohammad Namazie, a trader with interests in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and southern India.
Later he would join the board of the larger Namazie Group and help with their many diverse business interests, especially the family's vast real estate portfolio.
He was considered the best tennis player in South India by Ramesh Krishnan but instead joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1954.
Akbar Khaleeli would go on to become the Ambassador to Italy, High Commissioner to Australia and Advisor to the Government on Middle Eastern Affairs.
Despite repeated enquiries about Shakereh's whereabouts to Shradhananda, he consistently avoided giving a proper answer.
For three years Shradhananda managed to evade questions from Shakereh's family and friends, as well as legal authorities of the state.
In May 1994, after a sting operation, the police of Karnataka uncovered the skeletal remains of Shakereh buried deep in the courtyard of her own house.
Shakereh's murder was considered one of the most heinous crimes in Indian criminal history, deeply affecting the nation.
The order read: "From the facts and circumstances of the case, it is clear that the said murder has created such a fear in the minds of the family and in the community to live peacefully in society.
The judge directed the jail authorities not to execute the death sentence until they received confirmation from the high court.
Terming it the "rarest of rare cases" in their order, the division bench stated: "The accused had murdered his wife in a diabolical and a well-planned scheme.
[4] On 18 February 2006 Shradhananda issued notice to the Karnataka Government on special leave petition (SLP) questioning the high court judgment that had confirmed the death sentence.
In 2023, Amazon Prime Video released a four-part documentary series Dancing on the Grave produced by India Today Originals Production.