Kanpur businessman installed 4 CCTVs for ‘safety’. 2 weeks later, he was dead

Subrat immediately called the police, who rushed to the house.

When they looked for clues, police found no signs that the attackers had forced their way into the house. They began examining CCTV footage from inside the flat and its surroundings to piece together what had happened. 

The footage led investigators to two men — Vishal Gautam, 30, and Raj Kishore, 25 — who were arrested after an ‘encounter’ on Monday.

When they questioned the duo, police said, the investigation took an unexpected turn. They told police that they had allegedly been hired to kill the victim — by Shalu.

She was arrested the same day.

The three were produced before a court, which remanded them to judicial custody, Deputy Commissioner of Police SM Qasim Abidi said.

A plan to make it look like a heart attack

Police claimed Shalu approached Vishal, a former employee at her father-in-law’s shop, and offered him Rs 6 lakh to carry out the murder. Vishal, who police said was under a debt of Rs 2 lakh, allegedly agreed.

He then recruited his unemployed friend Raj Kishore, offering him an advance of Rs 30,000.

The plan, according to police, was chillingly simple: smother the victim with a pillow as he slept, making it look like a fatal heart attack.

Around 20 days before the killing, police said Shalu allegedly handed Vishal the original key to the house so he could get a duplicate made.

She also allegedly told the two men that she would be attending a party with her husband and son on the night of September 5. 

To ensure Vishal’s entry went unnoticed, she allegedly called the society’s security gate and gave his name as “Shivam”, so his real identity would not appear in the visitor register.

Using the duplicate key, the two men allegedly entered the flat and hid inside the bedroom.

Around 11 pm, Vineet entered the bedroom. Just as he was settling down to sleep, he sensed movement. 

Police said the accused panicked and allegedly stabbed him repeatedly in the abdomen and other parts of his body with knives they had brought. They fled by jumping over the rear wall.

An ‘encounter’ follows

On Monday, police received information that the two accused were hiding in Ratanpur. They cordoned off the area.

Police claimed when they spotted the officers, the accused opened fire with the weapons they were carrying.

In retaliation, police fired back, leaving both men with bullet injuries to their legs. The two were taken to a hospital and provided initial treatment.