UP Woman Has Affair With 2 Brothers Of Dead Husband, Then Kills Their Mother

In a household in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi - affairs, gold theft and a murder. The police have uncovered the alleged conspiracy behind the killing of 54-year-old Sushila Devi. The investigation has led to the arrest of her younger daughter-in-law Pooja, and Pooja's sister, Kamla, both of whom are now in judicial custody. On Tuesday night, police shot and arrested Kamla's lover, Anil Verma, who had been missing since the murder.

According to the police, the three had plotted the murder and looted jewellery worth approximately Rs 8 lakh from the victim's home. Police said that Anil Verma was intercepted while attempting to sell the stolen ornaments to a relative. Verma allegedly opened fire on the police, prompting retaliatory gunfire. He was wounded and subsequently admitted to the Jhansi Medical College under armed guard.

Timeline of Events

The crime occurred on the morning of June 24 in Kumhariya village in Jhansi. Sushila Devi, a widow and matriarch of the household, was found dead in her home. Police are investigating how she died. 

Within 48 hours, police named the key suspects based on forensic evidence, witness statements, and interrogation of family members. Pooja, who had been residing in the same house, was taken into custody along with her sister Kamla. Both were formally charged and sent to jail.

Superintendent of Police (City) Gyanendra Kumar confirmed that during questioning, Pooja confessed to orchestrating the killing with the assistance of her sister and her sister's lover, Anil Verma. Verma had fled the village shortly after the murder and was traced while attempting to sell the stolen gold and ornaments.

The motive, according to police, stemmed from a prolonged domestic dispute involving inheritance and land. 

Pooja, after the death of her husband, was in a live-in relationship with her brother-in-law Kalyan Singh. Following his death, Pooja was taken by her father-in-law, Ajay Singh and brother-in-law, Santosh, to their ancestral home in Kumhariya.

There, she reportedly began a relationship with her brother-in-law, Santosh, who was already married. The relationship eventually resulted in the birth of a daughter. Ragini, Santosh's legal wife, objected to the relationship and moved out to her maternal home nine months ago. The police are nw reopening the investigation into the deaths of the the two brothers-in-law. 

Police say that Pooja became increasingly involved in household decisions and began negotiating the sale of agricultural land. The family collectively owned 16 bighas (approximately 6.5 acres) of land. Pooja insisted on selling what she considered her 8-bigha share to move to Gwalior. While Santosh and Ajay reportedly agreed, Sushila Devi stood in opposition.

According to Pooja's confession, she decided to eliminate Sushila to remove the final barrier to her plans.

Stolen Jewellery And An Encounter

After Sushila's murder, her house was found ransacked. Police later confirmed that jewellery estimated to be worth Rs 8 lakh, a motorbike, and a country-made pistol were missing. It was this jewellery that Anil Verma attempted to sell on the night of his encounter with the police.

The police stated that a surveillance unit received intelligence that Verma was travelling to a relative's home to offload the stolen ornaments. A police team attempted to intercept him near the village periphery. Upon being flagged down, Verma allegedly opened fire. Police retaliated, hitting him in the leg. He was captured and transported to Jhansi Medical College.

Police recovered gold and silver jewellery stolen from Sushila Devi's home, a black motorcycle used during the escape, and a locally-manufactured pistol.