Investigation into a corpse found in a suitcase at Uttar Pradesh’s Deoria has led police to a chilling murder plot, in which a woman teamed up with her lover — her husband’s nephew — to allegedly murder her husband because she feared he would end her affair.
The shocking murder in eastern Uttar Pradesh adds to the list of recent killings in which family members have been accused of murdering their own in a cold-blooded manner. The Deoria murder comes just a month after the Meerut killing, in which a woman plotted with her lover to murder her husband and sealed off pieces of his body in a cement-filled drum.
Yesterday, some people spotted a trolley suitcase in an agricultural field in Deoria’s Pakari Chhapar Patkhauli village. Suspicious, they called in the cops. When police opened the suitcase, they found a body with injury marks near the head. Forensic teams and a dog squad were called in as police tried to establish the man’s identity.
Police found a clue on the suitcase — an address was written on it. On further investigation, they were able to confirm that the dead was Naushad (30). Police learnt that he had been working in the Gulf and had come home just last week.
Police grilled Naushad’s wife Razia Sultana (30) and she broke down, admitting that she had murdered her husband because he was an obstacle in her affair with his nephew Roman (27). She told the cops that Naushad was killed with a sharp weapon and she, Roman and his friend Himanshu were involved in the murder. Roman and Himanshu later put the body in a suitcase and threw it in a field about 60 km from their home. Police have also recovered the murder weapon. Roman and Himanshu are on the run and the police are looking for them.
Naushad’s sister Nisha has said his family was struggling financially and he had been working in the Middle East for years to boost the family income. He had also built a home where his elderly father, his wife Razia and their daughter lived. He returned a week ago with two suitcases — unaware that one would be used to dispose of his body.
“My sister-in-law was having an affair with our nephew. They killed my brother, put his body in a suitcase and threw it in the field. Our nephew killed his uncle for his affair with his aunt. We want them to be hanged,” she said.
Deoria police chief Vikrant Vir said they had registered a case on the complaint of Naushad’s sister-in-law after the body was found. “We questioned his wife and she admitted to involvement in the murder. She said her husband’s nephew Roman and his friend Himanshu were involved in the murder. The murder took place late on Saturday night. Roman and Himanshu worked as drivers. They brought an SUV that night and disposed of the body after the murder,” he said.
“We have arrested the main accused Razia Sultana. The other two accused are on the run. We are looking for them and will arrest them soon,” the officer said. He added that Naushad did not like his nephew Roman and the couple had conflicts over this.
Asked how the cops identified the victim, the officer said, “The deceased used that trolley, so it had his address on it. That’s how we confirmed his identity. We reached his home and the main accused confessed during questioning,” he said.
Inputs by Vinod Kumar Dwivedi