Anshul (L) and Nisha (R)
Nisha and Pappu, 35, were arrested on Sunday following a tip-off, ACP (Indirapuram) Suryabali Maurya said. Police recovered an illegal .315-bore country-made pistol allegedly used in the crime at Pappu’s instance.
During questioning, Pappu allegedly told police that he and Nisha had planned the murder around a week before the shooting. He allegedly procured a country-made pistol and cartridges from his village, and the two hid them in the room, the ACP said. Pappu also told police that his first wife had died and his second wife lived in their village.
Police said the accused, Pappu alias Ganga Bhagat, allegedly shot Anshul twice while he was alone at home on Saturday, then fled.
A relationship that turned into a murder plot
Anshul and Nisha had married in 2015 and had two children. Because of social stigma, but the relationship continued, the family had tried to resolve the matter internally, allegedly.
Pappu, who is the husband of their maternal cousin, had also been living with them, police said. He had repeatedly complained about Nisha’s relationship with Pappu, according to Anshul’s sister. The case came to light after Anshul’s sister approached police in the early hours of Sunday. In her complaint, she alleged that Nisha and Pappu had been in a relationship and wanted to eliminate Anshul so they could marry. They lived in a rented room in Vandana Vihar, Khoda, and both worked at a stitching company in Noida.