Wife, two others held for Meerut bizman’s murder

LUCKNOW : A fortnight after a Meerut-based businessman was found murdered, the police on Saturday arrested three people including the 54-year-old wife of the victim and her friend in Meerut for allegedly planning the murder following property dispute. Their accomplice Rashid was also arrested while another accused Sabir is at large.

“The wife, Nilanjana Ahluwalia, had estranged relationship with her husband Rajesh Ahluwalia, 60. Nilanjana used to live separately in Delhi along with her children and conspired to kill Rajesh after he threatened to disown them, ” said assistant superintendent of police of Meerut Satpal Antil.

Nilanjana planned the murder with one Shabana Ali alias Saloni, 40, who lived in her neighbourhood.

Nilanjana promised to give her ₹25 lakh for the murder. To put their plan into action, Shabana first got in touch with Rajesh and started talking to him regularly on phone. She also hired two men, Rashid and Sabir Ali of Khurja, Bulandshahr.

According to investigators, on November 25, Shabana asked Rajesh to meet her in Hapur. Rajesh reached there in his car. After meeting in Hapur, she took him to Khurja, 60 kilometres from there.

“In Khurja, Rashid and Sabir who were waiting for them, pulled Rajesh out of the car and slit his throat with a sharp object that resulted in his death. They disposed of the body in a nearby forest. The body was recovered by Bulandshahr police on November 26,” said the ASP.

Shabana and Sabir drove Rajesh’s car back to Meerut and abandoned it at a deserted place. “They left the car in Meerut to make it look like a case of miss- ing person. In fact, the son of Rajesh Alhuwalia registered a missing complaint regarding his father on November 30,” said the ASP.

While investigating the case of missing person, investigators stumbled upon a CCTV recording that exposed the conspiracy. “Shabana and Sabir were seen exiting the car and we were able to identify her. A team was sent to detain her. She confessed to the crime and informed about the entire conspiracy on interrogation,” said the officer.

Police have arrested Rashid and are on the lookout for Sabir.

Nilanjana informed investigators that she was fed up with the constant abuse by her husband. “She said Rajesh used to hit her repeatedly that forced her to move out of the house with her children. Rajesh used to visit her occasionally,” informed the officer.

Police have slapped charges of murder (section 302 of IPC) and criminal conspiracy (section 120B of IPC) against the accused and initiated investigation into the matter. The accused were sent to prison on judicial custody.

THE WOMAN WHO WAS LIVING SEPARATELY, KILLED HER HUSBAND OVER PROPERTY DISPUTE