Husband Jailed for Wife’s Murder as Body Found in Secret Worcestershire Grave
Wife Buried in Unmarked Grave After Fatal Row
Zobaidah Salangy, 28, was laid to rest in a hidden, unmarked grave near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire in March 2020. The chilling burial was carried out with help from her husband Nezam Salangy’s two brothers.
Husband Nezam, 44, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder. However, he insists the body found is not his wife’s and claims she is still alive.
Brothers Also Sentenced for Helping Hide Body
Nezam’s younger siblings, Mohammed Ramin Salangi, 31, and Mohammed Yasin Salangi, 33, were convicted of assisting a criminal. Judge Hilliard sentenced them to six years and nine months respectively at Worcester Crown Court.
The judge slammed the cover-up attempts as “shameful,” saying Nezam had clearly planned to kill his wife beforehand.
“I’m sure you were violent to her, slapping her with an open hand and pulling her hair… It was clear that the relationship had completely failed. I’m sure you intended to murder her.”
Judge Hilliard revealed chilling recordings where Nezam ruled out divorce, saying either he or Zobaidah would have to die.
Victim’s Family Tell of Her Dreams and Brutal End
Zobaidah’s family described her as a loving woman who “cared for people of all races and beliefs.” She had dreams of a medical career after overcoming tough conditions to graduate college in Afghanistan.
Before moving to the UK in 2013, she worked as a maths teacher in Afghanistan. She married Nezam in an arranged marriage in 2012.
The couple argued bitterly the day before she vanished. Investigators found her phone hidden in her husband’s pizza shop, along with another device used to coordinate the burial.
Grim Discovery and Failed Police Search
Nevam Salangy reportedly killed Zobaidah on March 28, 2020, then summoned his brothers for help. Mohammed Ramin even drove 90 miles to Bromsgrove pretending to deliver a pizza oven part.
Zobaidah’s body was bound in curtain wire, wrapped in bin bags, and buried in woodland near Lower Bentley. It was not found for more than six months after a shallow police dig missed it.
Salangy tried to fool police with fake leads suggesting she was still alive and claimed she vanished after leaving him for a “new boyfriend.”
The prolonged concealment prevented any cause of death from being established, a factor the judge called aggravating.
Both brothers, veterans suffering from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan, were also convicted for their part in the cover-up.
Husband Still Denies Wife’s Death
Despite the overwhelming evidence and convictions, Nezam Salangy maintains the body found isn’t Zobaidah’s and insists she is alive. The brutal murder and secret burial have shocked the local community and highlighted the tragic consequences of a violent relationship.
