A woman and her lover were arrested for allegedly killing her husband in Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri.
Apart from the affair, their motive is also believed to be the husband's reluctance to pursue a case of the woman's alleged gang rape, police said on Wednesday.
Amna allegedly added sleeping pills to her husband Mohammed Sajid's food on Sunday, making him unconscious, while 25-year-old Sumit allegedly struck him with an iron wrench.
The duo then took the husband's body to a field and set it on fire to destroy any evidence, they said.
Police, however, found a partially burnt body and began an investigation based on a complaint by the victim's father, Aashiq Ali.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Ganesh Prasad Saha confirmed the arrests and said the incident came to light on Monday when Aashiq Ali filed a complaint at Bichwan police station.
The complainant alleged that his son, Mohammed Sajid had been murdered by Baisthwa Bhola Yadav and his son -- both residents of Partapur, Bhogaon. The complaint further claimed that Sajid's body was set on fire after his death.
In 2022, Amna had accused Yadav and his sons of gang rape and filed an FIR against them. However, the police filed a final report in court in December 2022, deeming the allegations false.
Amna, dissatisfied with the outcome, filed a protest petition in the court through her husband later that month. The matter was still sub-judice, with the next hearing scheduled for February 20, 2025.
The SP added, "Amna was unhappy with her husband as she believed he was reluctant to pursue the protest petition in court."
The tension surrounding this issue is believed to have played a role in Sajid's killing, he said.
Following Sajid's death, police lodged a first information report (FIR) and launched a probe. Analysis of call data of Sajid and Amna led police to arrest Sumit.
Further investigation revealed that Sumit, a resident of Bichwan, had been involved in a relationship with Amna. Police claimed Sumit confessed that he and Amna planned Sajid's murder together.
On the night of February 16, Amna allegedly laced her husband's food and tea with sleeping pills, rendering him unconscious. Once Sajid was incapacitated, Sumit struck him on the head with an iron wrench. The pair then transported the body to a nearby field and set it on fire to destroy any evidence, Sumit told police.
During interrogation, Sumit allegedly said that his affair with Amna and her ongoing legal conflict with Bhola Yadav was behind their decision to kill Sajid.
Police later recovered the iron wrench from Sumit's possession.
© 2025