Pilibhit (UP), Aug 1 (PTI) A 37-year-old woman, following a separation from her lover, allegedly strangled her husband to death after drugging him and her family members with a sleeping-pill-laced cold drink, has been arrested, police said on Saturday.
Madho Tanda Station House Officer Ashok Pal told reporters that the accused, Mamta, allegedly confessed to the crime committed in Pilibhit district during interrogation.
The deceased, identified as Umashankar, 42, had married Mamta 20 years ago and the couple had an 18-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, police said.
The incident came to light on Friday night when the couple’s daughter heard a noise and woke up her brother Vikas from deep slumber. The siblings found their father lying on the bed with a saree around his neck, suspecting their mother allegedly strangled him to death.
Police said he was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
The daughter told police that her mother brought a cold drink home on Friday evening, mixed sleeping pills in it and offered it to them. Police said later, she allegedly went to the roof with Umashankar while the children went downstairs to sleep. Police said the body was sent for a post-mortem examination on Saturday.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Umashankar had gone to Gujarat for work in February 2024, where Mamta allegedly developed a relationship with a neighbour, Nakul Bhavesh, 38, and wished to enter into a court marriage, police said.
The matter led to frequent disputes between the couple, and Umashankar had brought Mamta back to Pilibhit around six months ago, the family members said.
Police said after killing her husband, Mamta fled. Police conducted a search operation along with over 50 locals and found her hiding in a field about 300 metres from the house while allegedly trying to flee from the city. PTI COR NAV SMV ASD
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