A 23-year-old newly married woman in India has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating her husband’s murder with the help of her lover, staging it as a hit-and-run during an evening walk.
According to NDTV, the incident took place in Sri Ganganagar on 30 Jan, just three months after the couple’s wedding.
The victim, Mr Ashish, 27, had travelled with his wife, Anjali, 23, to her hometown in Rajasthan. That evening, the couple went for a walk, accompanied by Mr Ashish’s cousin Ankit and his wife.
According to Mr Ankit, they usually took a different route, but Anjali insisted on walking along a more secluded path.
After dropping Mr Ankit and his wife off, Mr Ashish and Anjali continued alone.
Source: @Random_patrakar on X
What happened next was a deadly ambush.
Anjali’s alleged lover, Sanju, along with three friends — identified as Rocky, Badal, and Siddharth — were reportedly hiding nearby.
The group attacked Mr Ashish, hitting him on the head with sticks before strangling him with a muffler.
They then fled the scene.
In an apparent attempt to mislead investigators, Anjali allegedly told police that they had been victims of a hit-and-run.
She also claimed that her gold jewellery had been stolen during the incident.
However, police quickly grew suspicious as Mr Ashish’s injuries did not match those typically seen in a road accident.
Post-mortem findings reportedly confirmed that he died from strangulation.
Investigations revealed that Anjali had been in a seven-year relationship with Sanju, a wedding waiter, even before her marriage to Mr Ashish.
The two reportedly attended the same college.
Police believe Anjali’s family had been aware of the relationship and arranged her marriage to Mr Ashish, who was from a village about 225km away from Sri Ganganagar.
Source: NDTV
Anjali had attempted to distance herself from Mr Ashish and meet Sanju by claiming she wanted to study in Sri Ganganagar, but her husband opposed the idea.
In the days leading up to the killing, Anjali allegedly met Sanju and planned the murder.
Her phone records showed regular contact with Sanju, proving the affair and the collaboration in the murder plot.
Anjali’s boyfriend
Source: Bhaskar English
Police suspect the motive was to free her from a marriage she was unhappy in.
Sanju and his three accomplices were arrested shortly after the incident. Anjali was also taken into custody.
Both families have been left devastated by the tragedy.
Mr Ashish’s relatives expressed shock and anger over what they described as a calculated betrayal.
Investigations are ongoing.
Also read: Woman in India kills husband during dispute, buries body in backyard
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @Random_patrakar on X and Bhaskar English.