New twist in Rajasthan murder case: Wife's affair for 7 years, killing planned in parental home 16 days ago

WLid was number one reported as a tip-and-run demise during an eventide walk in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar has now been exposed as a planned murder, allegedly carried out by a 23-year-old woman with the help of her lover.Police say the woman, Anjali Kumar, killed her husband Ashish Kumar (27) because she was unhappy with a marriage arranged by her family, despite being in a relationship with another man for seven years. As reported by HT earlier, four people have been arrested in the case, so far.Ashish was killed on Friday evening on a road in 01KLM village of Sri Ganganagar district. Initially, Anjali told police that the couple had gone for an evening walk when a speeding motorcycle hit Ashish from behind.Everything seemed to be going as per the duo’s plan. However, the truth emerged after an autopsy found injuries inconsistent with a road accident, prompting a deeper investigation and eventual confessions.Long-standing affairAccording to police, Anjali and Ashish married in October last year, but her relationship with Sanjay (25) predated the marriage by almost seven years.“Anjali’s family was aware of their relationship but still got her married to the victim, Ashish Kumar. She was unhappy with the marriage and hence plotted the entire murder,” Sri Ganganagar superintendent of police Amrita Duhan said.Investigators said Anjali and Sanjay, both natives of Sadulshahar in Churu district, met during their graduation at a college in Ravla in Sri Ganganagar and continued their relationship even after her marriage.Plot finalised 16 days before the killingInvestigations revealed that the murder was not impulsive but planned well in advance. According to police and a PTI report, Anjali visited her parental home in Sadulshahar 16 days before the incident, where she and Sanjay allegedly finalised the plan to eliminate Ashish.The duo also roped in two men, Rohit and Siddharth, who allegedly carried out a recce of the murder spot days before the attack.According to the police, Anjali had been unhappy in marriage, but the final trigger came when she sought her husband’s permission to return to their former college in Ravla for higher studies, a move investigators say was intended to help her meet Sanjay regularly. “Ashish refused,” the SP said.Ashish had joined a private school as a teacher just three days before his death.How the murder was carried outOn the day of the crime, Anjali allegedly lured Ashish to a deserted stretch under the pretext of an evening walk.“Anjali had already informed Sanjay before she left home with her husband. As soon as they reached the spot, Sanjay and his associates attacked Ashish with rods and sticks and beat him until he collapsed. When he fell unconscious, Sanjay smothered him to death. The autopsy later revealed a deep head injury and signs of smothering,” Duhan said.Circle Officer Prashant Kaushik also detailed the sequence of events that night."On the fateful night, after dinner, Anjali took Ashish for a walk. She alerted Sanjay, who arrived with his accomplices and hid in nearby bushes. When she signalled, the trio assaulted Ashish with sticks, rendering him unconscious, and then strangled him," he said, PTI reported.After the killing, Anjali allegedly tried to make the crime look like a robbery.“To present the crime as robbery, Anjali handed over Ashish's mobile phone and her earrings to the accused,” the police said, adding that she pretended to be unconscious near the spot, PTI reported.Based on her complaint, police registered a case of negligent driving and began searching for the alleged biker, while Ashish’s body was sent for post-mortem.Autopsy raised suspicionThe hit-and-run theory began to unravel once the autopsy report came in. “There were multiple injury marks caused by a brutal assault. We also found no other clues related to any such assailant,” Duhan said.With no evidence supporting a road accident or robbery, police summoned Anjali for questioning. During interrogation on Wednesday, she allegedly confessed to her role in the murder.All four accused — Anjali, Sanjay, Rohit and Siddharth — have been arrested. A murder case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.