Two days after a 40-year-old labourer was murdered in Bhondsi, the police on Monday said the victim, Dhani Ram, was allegedly throttled with a belt while he was relieving himself. His wife’s alleged paramour, Akhilesh, had taken him out for a drink before choking him with the belt of his trousers and dumping his body in the bushes at a vacant plot.

The police said Akhilesh and Ram’s wife, Rajni, had been in an extra-marital relationship for over a year and both allegedly hatched a plan to kill Ram, because they planned to settle down together.

Hemraj, sub-inspector (SI), Bhondsi police station, who is the investigating official, said the two had allegedly planned to escape to Uttar Pradesh, where Akhilesh hailed from, before they were arrested.

“Akhilesh, a tractor driver, is from Bulandshahr in UP, and for a brief period last year, he had rented a room adjacent to the victim and his wife’s room in Shyam Kunj colony in Bhondsi. Akhilesh got close to the victim’s wife and they were allegedly caught by the victim once. After the victim became aware of their relationship, he had admonished Akhilesh, asking him to move to a different place,” Hemraj said.

The police said the matter was settled after Akhilesh moved out, but he stayed in touch with the victim’s wife over the phone, and met frequently.

“On Saturday evening, Akhilesh went to the house of the victim and invited him to drink liquor with him. The two went to a liquor store and drank at a vacant plot near a school. After the victim was inebriated, he went to relieve himself and at this moment, Akhilesh took out his trouser belt and allegedly strangled him from behind,” Hemraj said.

The police said the victim’s elder brother, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, learnt of the incident on Sunday morning and filed a police complaint alleging that he suspected the involvement of his sister-in-law and her alleged paramour.

During interrogations, the victim’s wife allegedly confessed to the conspiracy, and Akhilesh was rounded up on Sunday evening from his rented accommodation while he was about to escape.

The victim’s body was found on Sunday morning from a vacant plot behind a school in Bhondsi. An autopsy revealed that the victim had died of strangulation. The accused persons were produced in the district court on Monday and sent to judicial custody.

A case was registered against the accused persons under sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code at Bhondsi police station on Sunday, the police said.

First Published: Mar 19, 2019 00:11 IST