Delhi Crime: Wife (45) And Lover (20) Arrested For Murdering Husband

A 55-year-old property dealer from Delhi's Sangam Vihar was allegedly sedated, strangled and given electric shocks by his wife, her lover and an associate, in a murder that was later staged to look like a robbery gone wrong. The Delhi Police have arrested all three accused after a CCTV trail exposed the conspiracy.

On August 10, at around 5 am, the police received a call about an injured man lying on the road in the Ratiya Marg area of Sangam Vihar. A police team reached the spot and found the man, identified as Munna Lal, in a pool of blood with multiple injury marks on his body. He was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he was declared dead. A case was registered, and an investigation was launched.

The probe revealed that the killing was allegedly orchestrated by Munna Lal's wife, 45-year-old Manju alias Nazia. Police said she had promised Rs 5 lakh to her lover, Chaman, a 20-year-old mechanic working at a shop near the couple's house, to kill her husband. On the night before the murder, Chaman allegedly supplied sleeping pills, which Nazia mixed with water and gave to Munna Lal.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said, "After Munna Lal went to sleep, Chaman entered the house, strangled him with a rope, smothered him, and administered electric shocks, resulting in his death." Police said Chaman was assisted by a 28-year-old associate, Kishan. Munna Lal was also allegedly beaten with a wooden stick to ensure he was dead.

When questioned, Nazia initially misled investigators, claiming that burglars had entered the house and killed her husband when he confronted them. "She said there was a burglary attempt and when Munna Lal confronted the robbers, they killed him and she was sleeping at that time," Mittal said. Police, however, found discrepancies in her account. Attempts had been made to clean up blood stains, while household items appeared deliberately scattered to simulate a robbery.

CCTV footage from cameras outside the house showed a masked man entering the premises at around 1:45 am and leaving at about 3:15 am. Confronted with this evidence, Nazia broke down. "The moment we questioned her more, the woman broke down and confessed to the crime. She told the team that she murdered her husband with her lover Chaman and his associate," the DCP said. Police said Nazia paid Chaman Rs 20,000 after the murder.

Munna Lal and Nazia had been married for 22 years and had three children, two daughters and a son. The son, who usually stayed with his father and rarely left him alone, was away that night to attend the Kanwar Yatra. Police said Munna Lal was financially quite well-off, but Nazia had allegedly complained that he did not give her money, a grievance that reportedly led to frequent arguments between the couple.

All three accused, Nazia, Chaman and Kishan, have been arrested in connection with the murder. The Delhi Police have registered a case under the relevant provisions of law, and further investigation into the conspiracy, including the precise roles played by each accused, is currently underway. Police said forensic evidence gathered from the spot is also being examined.

Inputs from NDTV