Meerut, July 18 (IANS) In a gruesome incident reported from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, a woman and her purported lover have been arrested for the alleged murder of her husband, which they attempted to pass off as a snakebite, police said.
The motive was to claim a Rs 20 lakh insurance payout and continue their extramarital relationship.
The victim has been identified as Atul Panwar, who co‑ran a play school in Hastinapur with his wife Damini. He was reportedly found dead on his bed.
According to police, Panwar and Damini married in 2019 and lived in Hastinapur. Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police said the investigation revealed that Damini was allegedly in a relationship with the school’s driver, Tushar alias Nikki.
As per the probe, Damini allegedly mixed sleeping pills in her husband’s milk to make him unconscious before releasing a poisonous snake onto the bed, which bit him. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijit Kumar said Panwar was rushed to a Community Health Centre on Friday morning and later confirmed dead.
The accused had allegedly plotted to disguise the crime as a natural snakebite to avoid suspicion. Initially, the death did appear to be caused by a snakebite until investigators examined the circumstances in detail.
Police said mobile phone records and other evidence eventually uncovered the conspiracy involving Damini and Tushar. Investigators revealed the accused had earlier attempted to kill Panwar by staging a road accident. After that plan failed, Damini allegedly conspired with her lover and two others to kill her husband.
Police said the accused intended to claim Rs 20 lakh in insurance and eliminate Panwar to continue their illicit relationship.
Investigations also revealed that Tushar is married and had reportedly been planning to divorce his wife before the murder plot came to light.
Both accused have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.
–IANS
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