UP woman, alleged lover kill husband by releasing venomous snake into his bed
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "UP woman, alleged lover kill husband by releasing venomous snake into his bed")
A Meerut school owner's death, initially believed to be a snakebite Photograph: (X)
A Meerut school owner's death, initially believed to be a snakebite, has turned into a murder investigation. Police allege his wife, her alleged lover and two others used a venomous snake to kill him, hoping to pass it off as an accident and claim a ₹20 lakh insurance payout.
A woman has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district for killing her husband along with her along with her alleged lover and two accomplices. The murder was orchestrated to look like accidental snakebite and claim a ₹20 lakh insurance policy. According to police, the wife and her lover hatched a conspiracy and sedated the man with sleeping pills and then released a snake onto his bed while he slept. The wife came under scanner when the victim’s family questioned the circumstances surrounding his death. Two accoplices turned out to be alleged snake charmers.
The man has been identified as Atul Panwar, who owned and managed a private school in Hastinapur in Meerut district along with his wife, Damini. The couple had married for love in 2019. The alleged lover was identified as Tushar. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey said police found that Tushar had been working as the school’s bus driver for the past three months and was allegedly involved in an extramarital relationship with Damini. During questioning, the accused allegedly revealed that they chose a venomous snake as the murder weapon because a snakebite death would appear accidental. Police said that Tushar allegedly contacted two snake charmers, identified as Sonu and Uday, to procure a venomous snake.
However, police say the victim’s family was not convinced that the death was accidental. They reportedly pointed to inconsistencies in the sequence of events and urged police to carry out a detailed investigation. Police said digital evidence, call detail records and witness statements helped investigators piece together the sequence of events. During questioning, the accused allegedly disclosed their individual roles in the conspiracy, enabling police to reconstruct how the murder was planned and carried out. According to police, the alleged motive was twofold. Investigators claim Damini and Tushar wanted to eliminate Atul to continue their alleged extramarital relationship. Police also allege the accused intended to claim a ₹20 lakh life insurance policy by portraying Atul's death as an accidental snakebite.
