PATNA: A 55-year-old man was forwarded to judicial custody on Friday for shooting his niece’s husband dead inside SUV allegedly over illicit relation near village Gyaspur tolapur under Siswan police station area of Siwan.
The accused was identified as Chandrama Pandey, a native of Mahaul village under Mazharulhaq Nagar police station area of Siwan.
He had attempted to commit suicide by driving his SUV in Saryu river near the spot where he committed the murder inside the vehicle on Thursday morning.
The slain person was identified as Manjeet Pandey, aged around 25 years. He was native of Dumri village under Manjhi police station area of Saran district. He was shot in head from almost point-blank range, as per police.
Manjeet had got married to a 22-year-old girl hailing from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh on December 13 last year. Chandrama was the maternal uncle of this girl.
When asked, Siwan SP Abhinav Kumar told TOI over phone on Friday that two separate facts had surfaced before police in connection with the murder cum failed suicide attempt by Chandrama.
“First thing we have got to know from villagers is that Chandrama was having an illicit relation with her sister’s daughter. This resulted in killing of Manjeet,” he said.
“Another information which had surfaced before police in course of investigation till now is that Chandrama was having an illicit relation with a female in his relation which his niece came to know about after catching him in objectionable position,” he said adding both angles are being probed.
Siswan police station SHO Kumar Vaibhav told this newspaper that police were unable to carryout investigation of the crime scene as murder took place inside Chandrama’s SUV and it’s still lying around in bed of Saryu river which is around 80 feet deep.
“Efforts were on to pull out the SUV from riverbed so that pistol or any other thing related to the murder could be recovered,” he said.
SHO said that Manjeet and her wife had reached at Chandrama’s residence around four days back.
“They had planned to return Saran on Thursday. Chandrama offered that he would drop them upto their residence,” he said.
Vaibhav said that while the trio were on way to Saran on Thursday morning, Chandrama suddenly picked-up fight with Manjeet inside SUV on petty discussion which took place during their marriage.
“All three were sitting on the front seat. Manjeet begged for mercy but he didn’t listen and shot him in head. Chandrama pushed the body out of SUV along with his niece and drove directly into the river flowing beside the road,” he said.
SHO said that Chandrama however was rescued and was later arrested. He said the niece lodged an FIR against him in connection with killing her husband.
Vaibhav said body was handed over to family after post-mortem and further investigation was going on.