How UP woman and her female partner ‘hired hitmen to murder husband’

Police have now arrested the two women and taken them into custody. “Besides Renu and Malti, one of the three contract killers involved in the crime, Raju Sonkar (45), was also arrested,” said Additional Superintendent of Police, Fatehpur, Mahendra Pal Singh.

Police said the other two alleged contract killers, Jitendra Gupta and Ram Prakash, both local residents, are on the run and special teams have been formed to track them.

Renu and Malti are neighbours. Malti lives with her nine-year-old son, police said, adding that her husband passed away earlier.

During questioning, police said Malti revealed that she and Renu were in a relationship; she had even tattooed Renu’s name on her hand.

But, police said, Singh found out about them and allegedly confronted both Malti and his wife. Arguments broke out between him and Renu as she refused to sever ties with Malti.

Finally, police said, the two women allegedly hatched a conspiracy to murder Singh so they could live together without opposition.

To ensure suspicion would not fall on them, police said Malti stopped visiting Renu’s house. She allegedly gave Renu a keypad mobile phone, through which the two kept in touch.

Malti then contacted her old acquaintance, Jitendra, a rickshaw puller, and allegedly offered him Rs 60,000 to murder Singh. Police said after negotiations, Malti took money from Renu and paid Jitendra an advance of Rs 8,000.

As per the plan, police said, Jitendra, along with his associates, intercepted Singh when he was heading to the tubewell in his fields. The accused allegedly tied a cloth around his neck and strangled him. When he fell unconscious, they slit his throat with a sharp-edged weapon, killing him on the spot, police added.