Sahibganj (Jharkhand), Feb 11 (IANS) A woman and her lover have been arrested from Ratanpur village in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district for the murder of her 15-year-old son, police said on Wednesday.
The accused have been identified as Meenu Devi and Rohit Sah. Both were taken into custody and later sent to judicial custody after they were produced in a court.
According to police officials, the crime came to light during an investigation into the suspicious death of a teenager, Ayush. Preliminary findings revealed that Meenu Devi was involved in an illicit relationship with Sah, who is her nephew.
Police said that on February 7, when Meenu Devi’s husband, Hemant Sah, had stepped out for some work, Rohit Sah visited the house. During this time, Ayush saw the two in a compromising position and began shouting. Fearing that he would reveal the matter to family members and villagers, the duo overpowered the teenager and strangled him with a rope.
After the murder, the body was dumped near a pond located behind the house in an attempt to make it appear as a case of accidental death or disappearance.
When Hemant Sah returned home, Meenu Devi fabricated a story, claiming that Ayush had stepped out to use the bathroom and had not returned. Alarmed by his disappearance, family members and villagers launched a search operation and later found the boy lying unconscious near the pond.
He was rushed to the Barharwa Community Health Centre and subsequently referred to Sonajori Hospital in Pakur, but the doctors declared him dead on arrival.
While the family was preparing for the funeral, police were alerted about the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Officers reached the spot, took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem examination.
Based on a complaint lodged by the deceased’s father, a case of murder was registered. During the investigation, police pieced together the sequence of events through circumstantial evidence and sustained interrogation of the accused.
The inconsistencies in the woman’s statements raised suspicion, ultimately leading to the revelation of the crime.
–IANS
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