SIX HELD FOR MURDERING THREE Greater Noida murder suspect nearly pulls off perfect getaway

GREATER NOIDA: Sensational details emerged of a Greater Noida family’s murder on Thursday, a day after police arrested a 38-year-old man who almost pulled off a perfect getaway.

The man murdered his wife and two children three years ago as he wanted to settle down with a woman he was in an extramarital relationship with, zeroed in on another man who somewhat resembled him in appearance as well as build, murdered him and passed it off as his own death, police said after the arrest of five of his accomplices.

Those arrested were identified as Rakesh, 38, his father Banwari Lal, 65, mother Indirawati, 62, two brothers Rajiv, 36, and Pravesh, 34, and a woman constable, Rubi, 30, who was in a relationship with the main accused Rakesh, police said.

Rakesh, from Aligarh, lived with his family in Chipyana Buzurg in Greater Noida. Botre Rohan Pramod, superintendent of police, Kasganj, said Rakesh worked as a medical lab technician from 2011 to 2018 and he was aware of certain aspects of forensic investigations.

“Rakesh married Ratnesh in 2012 and they had two children – a three-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son. However, he was also in a relationship with Rubi, and wanted to marry her. On February 14, 2018, he killed his wife and children with an iron rod and buried their bodies in their house’s basement and destroyed evidence,” he said.

While Ratnesh’s family filed a complaint of abduction against her husband, Rakesh’s family members filed a counter-complaint of abduction against his in-laws at Bisrakh.

To pass himself off as dead, Rakesh planned another murder. Pramod said Rakesh identified a vulnerable friend, Rajendra alias Kalua, who was similar to him in appearance, and took him on a motorcycle from Aligarh to Kasganj on April 26, 2018.

“On the way, Rakesh offered drinks to Kalua and then killed him with a sharp weapon. He decapitated the victim’s head and hands and threw the body near a railway track,” the SP said.

Rakesh’s family members, who were aware of the conspiracy, allegedly reached the spot and claimed the victim was Rakesh. They also filed a case of murder against Rakesh’s in-laws. But police probed the matter and evidence and DNA reports revealed the deceased was Rajendra and not Rakesh.