Docs: Carmel man arrested for plotting to murder wife

CARMEL, Ind. -- Court documents detail how police foiled a Carmel man's conspiracy to have his wife murdered.




According to court documents obtained by FOX59/CBS4, 44-year-old Darshan Soni faces the following preliminary charges:

• Conspiracy to Commit Murder (Level 2 Felony)





• Murder





• Attempted Murder (Level 1 Felony)

The investigation into Soni began on May 12 when the detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received an anonymous tip claiming that Soni was conspiring to have his wife murdered. The tipster said Soni had requested help from one of his employees at Compass Property Group and that the murder was supposed to occur on May 16.

According to court documents, the tipster reportedly told police that Soni had asked them if they knew where he could purchase a silencer. They also recalled observing Soni pick up a wig from the employee's residence.




The employee Soni allegedly tried to solicit to kill his wife reportedly spoke with the same tipster. During their conversation, the employee admitted that Soni had asked them if they were willing to kill his wife and how much money it would cost.




The tipster stated that this employee reportedly agreed to provide Soni with an "alibi" following the murder by bringing Soni's cell phone to a different location in Indianapolis. The employee had also requested money that could be used to purchase a used silver Ford Escape, court documents said.




Court documents show that IMPD detectives and officers with the Carmel Police Department made contact with this employee. They agreed to cooperate with police as they continued investigating Soni.




Authorities later learned from the tipster that Soni allegedly tried to poison his wife, but this proved to be unsuccessful. The tipster accused the employee of letting Soni know that the authorities were investigating him after they "talked to him (Soni) in code over the phone to tip him off," court documents said.




Police subsequently spoke with Soni's wife and discussed the possibility that she may have possibly been poisoned. The victim disclosed that she had experienced nerve pain and sciatica issues that were "quite serious" in November 2024. She also told police that she experienced issues with her thyroid in February of this year, according to court documents.




In the most recent example, the victim said she remembered experiencing a "salty taste" when she consumed smoothies a few months ago. She shared that she would typically make smoothies every day and would leave them sitting on the kitchen counter.




She also recalled another occasion when she observed a "white clumpy substance" inside one of her smoothie cups. She recalled Soni reportedly telling her it must have been dishwasher detergent when she brought it up, court documents said.

Interview with Soni's employee

On May 14, detectives spoke with Soni's employee. During the interview, the employee shared that Soni allegedly inquired where he could acquire a silencer before giving them $2,000 in late April to purchase a used silver Ford Escape that Soni allegedly intended to borrow to "use to kill his wife."




The employee indicated that Soni had admitted that he purchased "some type of poison" from India that he planned to use to kill his wife, court documents said. When the employee was presented with a photograph depicting a wig Soni is accused of purchasing, they confirmed it was the same wig they provided to him.




The interview also revealed that Soni had been "obsessively reading a book called "Rise and Kill First," court documents revealed.

Further investigation, arrest

Police then installed a GPS device on the Ford Escape after learning that the employee was planning to meet with Soni the following day, on May 15. The employee also agreed to have investigators install an audio recording device on their person before the planned meeting at Compass Property Group, located at 4040 S. Meridian St.




Court documents detailed the conversation between this employee and Soni. It began with Soni stating that he owed the employee an apology and a "lot of gratitude" for showing "him the right thing to do, not violence, other ways to rectify situation."




The recorded conversation reportedly included discussions about Soni's marriage as he shared that there had been no divorces in his family for several generations and that "he doesn't want his kids to have to go through that."




Online jail records indicate Soni was arrested on May 16 and transported to the Hamilton County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in Hamilton Superior Court 3 for an initial hearing on May 22 at 1:15 p.m.





via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-carmel-man-arrested-for-plotting-to-murder-wife/