The wife and brother-in-law of a local Communist Party leader have been arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for alleged involvement in his murder about six months ago.
The police claim to have recovered his skeletal remains from a pit on the outskirts of the city. Social activist and Bawana Communist Party representative Ram Charan Ram (60) had gone missing from his house on January 1.
The Special Operations Squad of the Crime Branch received a tip-off on Sunday that his wife Janaki (45) had allegedly conspired with her brother-in-law Vinod Kumar (35) and Jhagru to murder her husband and bury his body in the fields in Bawana. The accused had planned to escape to Bihar.
Investigations revealed that a complaint regarding the victim’s kidnapping was registered at Narela police station. Subsequently, the Crime Branch team raided his house and arrested his wife and Vinod.
During interrogation, the duo allegedly confessed to having murdered Ram Charan. At their instance, the police recovered his skeletal remains.
“Investigations revealed that Janaki got her husband murdered as he was involved with another woman. Ram Charan had recently sold his house for Rs.7 lakh and bought another for Rs.4 lakh. He spent the remaining amount on the other woman, which irked Janaki. She had caught him trying to take away the property papers, raising suspicion that he wanted to transfer the property in his paramour’s name,” said a police officer.
Janaki shared her concerns with Vinod, following which they allegedly conspired to eliminate her husband. The accused kept him confined in a room and told the neighbours that he had gone to his village. On January 1, they made him consume liquor and then smothered him while he was in an inebriated state.
“We have launched a hunt for the third accused,” said the officer.