UP woman hired men to kill millionaire father-in-law, partied as he was murdered
Police said the woman hired two men, one of them a former employee, to kill her father-in-law at their Kanpur home after becoming frustrated with his constant CCTV surveillance and restrictions on her access to family finances.
Police have claimed to have cracked the murder of Uttar Pradesh-based businessman Vineet Minocha who was killed on Saturday at his home in Kanpur. At the centre of the murder plot, according to the police, is Vineet's daughter-in-law Shalu who allegedly hired a former employee of the Kanpur businessman to carry out the killing.
Shalu, who was initially seen crying inconsolably after Vineet's death, was arrested on Tuesday for her involvement in the murder plot. According to police, Vineet had been keeping a close watch on Shalu's activities through CCTV cameras installed at the house. Investigators suspect that the surveillance, along with possible resentment over financial restrictions, may have contributed to the conspiracy against him.
Vineet was found dead on Saturday with his throat slit inside his flat located in Kanpur’s upscale Indira Nagar area. The case initially appeared to be a murder carried out by outsiders. But the fact that valuables and cash were not reported missing from the house was one of the key developments that led investigators to look for possible family tensions as the motive.
And then, CCTV footage, call records, a trail of deleted messages, and the questioning of Vineet's former employee, who allegedly carried out the murder along with an aide, gradually led investigators to the daughter-in-law.
Investigators said that Vineet exercised considerable control over his son's and daughter-in-law's spending and closely monitored their activities. Police suspect that this created resentment within the family, which may have eventually contributed to the conspiracy to eliminate him.
A PARTY WHILE MURDER TOOK PLACE
A crucial breakthrough came in the investigation from the CCTV surveillance of the flat where the murder took place. Footage from the flat and surrounding areas showed two suspicious men moving towards the flat around the time Vineet's son and daughter-in-law had left for a party.
According to the police, Vineet's son Subrat, daughter-in-law Shalu and their six-year-old son left the house for a party around 9:30 pm on Saturday. The reached the venue of the party at around 10:30 pm.
The manager of Cosmozin Lounge, the venue of the party, later told India Today that there were no visible signs of stress or anxiety on either of their faces during the party. "Both participated in the party normally. They ordered food, danced, and spent a considerable amount of time enjoying the gathering," the manager said, adding that the party continued till around 3 am.
"When we learned the next day that such a major crime was taking place at their home while they were partying here, we were also quite shocked. Their behaviour at the party gave absolutely no indication that they were under any stress," the manager also said.
Meanwhile, back at the Minocha residence, two men were captured on CCTV heading towards the flat soon after the couple left for the party. Police said the two entered the house and hid inside, waiting for Vineet to return.
Vineet came home at 10:58 pm. Investigators said that the attackers had already been inside the flat for around an hour and 15 minutes.
The initial plan, according to police, was to suffocate Vineet with a pillow while he slept and make the death appear natural. But the plan changed when Vineet ended up coming face-to-face with the attackers while walking around his home.
He was then attacked with knives, suffering injuries to his neck and chest.
CCTV FOOTAGE LEADS POLICE TO EX-STAFF
The CCTV footage provided police with their first major breakthrough. One of the suspects was identified as Vishal Gautam, a former employee who had worked at Vineet's residence.
According to the police, Vishal had worked at the house for around 12-13 years. His familiarity with the family and the layout of the residence is now being examined as part of the investigation.
Vishal had a duplicate key to the flat and used it to enter the house along with his associate Raj Kishore.
The biggest twist came during the questioning of Vishal and Raj Kishore. According to Kanpur Police DCP Qasim Abidi, the two accused told police that Vineet's daughter-in-law had lured them with money and got the murder carried out. Shalu was subsequently arrested in connection with the case.
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW CONTACTED ACCUSED 309 TIMES
The investigation subsequently moved from CCTV footage to digital evidence. Police have found that Shalu and Vishal had exchanged text messages and phone calls a total of 309 times from May 1 until the day of the murder. The communication also included WhatsApp calls.
Investigators are now examining these contacts to establish when the murder plan was discussed and how the accused allegedly coordinated before the crime.
Adding another layer to the investigation, police have found 49 deleted messages exchanged between Shalu and Vishal. Investigators are attempting to recover the deleted chats through technical analysis, suspecting they could contain key details about the murder plot.
Police are also probing a Rs 6-lakh contract for the murder between the ex-employee and daughter-in-law. According to the police, Rs 2 lakh was supposed to be paid immediately after the murder, while the remaining Rs 4 lakh was to be paid around 15 days later.
Investigation into the case is ongoing.