Bulandshahr : A 35-year-old man was murdered by his wife, her lover and his friend, who forced his face into mud after making him consume alcohol, police said Wednesday. The accused allegedly left the body face down in a marshy patch to pass off the murder as an accident.
Mukesh Kumar , a resident of Satoha village in Dibai, was found dead beneath a tree in a mango orchard in Udaipur village on Sept 15. Police suspect Poonam wanted control of Mukesh’s assets, including a one-bigha plot and an insurance policy worth around Rs 12 lakh.
During questioning, Poonam admitted her involvement and named her lover Karvind, a resident of Bhatpura village in Ahmadgarh, and his friend Jogendra as accomplices, police said. Karvind made Mukesh consume alcohol and took him to the village outskirts, where Poonam and Jogendra joined them, according to police. The post-mortem examination could not ascertain the exact cause of death. His brother Devendra later approached police, suspecting foul play. The trio allegedly killed Mukesh by pressing his face into the mud and left his body there to make it appear that he had fallen into the marsh while drunk.
Devendra said Mukesh, whose parents died several years ago, drove an e-rickshaw to support his family. “Poonam has been sent to judicial custody, while efforts are underway to arrest Karvind and Jogendra,” Dibai circle officer Madhup Singh said. Following marital differences, he had been living separately in a hut near Chamadh temple. He had sold his e-rickshaw around two days before his death.
Police examined surveillance footage and other technical evidence during the investigation and found the conduct of Mukesh’s wife, Poonam, suspicious. She was detained Tuesday from PS Hospital in Dibai.