A 24-year-old woman went to Sector 5 police on Thursday to report that her husband, a taxi driver, had left house in Sheetla Mata Colony two days ago and did not return. Police filed a missing person’s complaint and initiated a probe. Four days later, police arrested the woman on Monday for allegedly murdering her husband as she suspected him of having an extra marital affair and later dumping his body in a ravine with the help of six aides.
The woman, Sweety, and six other accused were arrested from Ashok Vihar for allegedly killing the 36-year-old taxi driver, Jogender, in Sheetla Mata Colony on the night of January 15. The victim’s decomposed body was fished out of a drain by police on Sunday after his wife confessed to the plotting his murder.
Police said that Sweety hatched a conspiracy to kill her husband as she suspected him of having an illicit relationship and feared that he might transfer property in the name of his paramour.
According to police, she roped in her friend Kamlesh, who had been staying in a shanty on the couple’s plot in Sheetla Mata Colony for the past three years. Police said Sweety offered Rs 16 lakh as ‘contract fee’ to Kamlesh and her relatives to murder her husband.
Sumit Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Sector 5 police station, said the incident took place around 1 am at the couple’s house in Sheetla Mata Colony. “The victim was attacked with steel rods, sticks and a wrench by the accused persons in the presence of his wife. When the victim resisted, one of the accused put a gun against his head while he was smothered with a pillow. The accused wrapped his body in a quilt and blankets and rode on a motorcycle to a ravine in Bajghera village, covering a distance of over nine kilometres, to dump the body,” Kumar said.
Police said the accused had arranged a canter truck to lower the body into the ravine in Bajghera and left after deserting the motorcycle along the way.
The SHO said Sweety had given Rs 25,000 and some jewellery up front to the accused with the promise of settling the outstanding amount by selling some property she owned, once the ‘job’ was complete.
“The victim’s brother told us that they suspected the role of his wife and during questioning, she confessed to plotting the murder. Apart from infidelity, she said her husband ill-treated her and she wanted to get rid of him,” Kumar said.
The accused persons have been identified as Kanhaiya alias Kanhi, his wife Kamlesh, their first cousin Jageram, Jageram’s nephew Vikas and two acquaintances Pratap and Yogesh. The accused hail from Bulandhahr, Jhajjar and Mathura districts in Uttar Pradesh.
The accused were produced in the district court on Monday evening. The court sent the accused to two days’ police remand.
A case was registered against the accused persons under sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Arms Act at Sector 5 police station, police said.