The police suspect the role of close relatives in the murder of the Bahujan Samaj Party MLA’s wife at her house in New Jaffrabad here on Wednesday as they have not come across any evidence to indicate that she was killed during a robbery.
Preliminary post-mortem findings have revealed that 40-year-old Rehana, the second wife of Bulandshahr MLA Haji Aleem, was stabbed about a dozen times and shot in the head and chest from close range. Her husband cut short his pilgrimage to Makkah and returned on Thursday to attend his wife’s last rites.
“The manner in which she was brutally murdered does not support the robbery theory. The motive behind the killing seems to be something else. The friendly entry of the perpetrators also needs to be taken into account. Therefore, the focus at this stage will be on questioning of all those known to the victim,” said a police officer.
A study of the scene of crime has indicated the involvement of at least two persons in the murder.
Police enquiries have revealed that Rehana had been living with her in-laws in Bulandshahr for the past five-six months and had returned to her New Jaffrabad residence about six days ago.
“We need to question her in-laws to ascertain what drove Rehana back to her Delhi residence,” said the officer, adding that her husband has volunteered to join the investigation.
While statements of her relatives are being recorded, the police are also trying to find out whether there was any ongoing property dispute in the family. They are also trying to crosscheck reports that she had recently lodged a complaint with the women’s cell.
Rehana, who had no children with the BSP MLA, was found dead around 9-30 a.m. on Wednesday by her domestic help. Her in-laws later alleged that Rs.20 lakh in cash was missing from the house, suggesting that she could have been murdered during a robbery.
