On Tuesday, dramatic scenes unfolded before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court when three policemen entered the premises attempting to arrest a woman.
She was not wanted for any run-of-the-mill crime. According to the police, she allegedly hatched a “nefarious plan” to frame her husband in a cow-slaughter case so she could be with her paramour.
The woman, however, managed to escape while the policemen were booked under charges such as trespassing and placed under suspension.
DCP (Lucknow West) Vishwajeet Srivastava told The Indian Express that the policemen committed a serious offence by entering the High Court premises to take an accused into custody — a violation of rules and regulations. They have been suspended and booked, and an inquiry has also been ordered, he said.
According to the DCP, the woman and her paramour met on Instagram about two years ago and grew close. The man, who hails from Bhopal, would visit Lucknow frequently to meet her.
While the man is a BTech (Computer Science) graduate, the woman is a postgraduate in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University, Srivastava said.
The nefarious plan to frame her husband was allegedly hatched in August last year, Srivastava said. This would have put him behind bars and also given the woman grounds for divorce.
To this end, her paramour joined a right-wing group on social media under a fake name. In September, the officer said, he allegedly planted 2 kg of meat in her husband’s SUV, which was parked in a parking lot in Lucknow’s Hazratganj. The woman had allegedly given him the keys, the DCP said.
Then, her paramour shared information with the right-wing group. The outfit’s office-bearer in Lucknow alerted the police, and the meat was recovered from the vehicle.
Police said the husband, a paper industry businessman, was arrested and sent to jail but got bail in a month.
So his wife allegedly devised another plan.
This time, DCP Srivastava said, she allegedly booked a supply vehicle online using his phone and shared the details, along with the OTP, with her paramour. The latter arrived at Lucknow on January 14 and allegedly brought 10 kg of meat with him.
Police said the supply vehicle, an e-rickshaw, was given an address in Lucknow’s Old City area to pick a packed consignment in a gunny bag. The drop location was in Kakori, close to a manufacturing unit owned by the husband.
The DCP said once again, her paramour allegedly used his contacts to inform the right-wing group about meat being carried in a vehicle. A police team from Kakori police station intercepted the vehicle and recovered the meat on January 15.
Since the vehicle owner had details of the woman’s and his mobile number, police picked him up and brought him to the police station, the DCP said.
Srivastava said when they questioned the husband, he told police he had installed CCTV cameras in his house as he suspected his wife was having an affair.
Police then checked the cameras and found the woman using her husband’s mobile phone, two days before the incident, when he was in the bathroom. As they dug further, police found she had contacted her paramour thereafter.
Police said they laid a trap and caught the man on Monday; he admitted to the crime. By then, the DCP said, the woman had left her home.
Srivastava told The Indian Express that a police team had received a tip-off that the woman was going to meet a lawyer at the High Court campus on Tuesday.
Three policemen – a sub-inspector and two constables – were supposed to keep a watch outside the court and inform senior officials when she left the premises.
But they decided to jump the gun. Police said the trio allegedly got passes issued, giving false information that they were going to visit the government advocate’s office. Instead, they reached the advocate’s chamber where the woman was.
On seeing the policemen, the advocates strongly objected. Chaos broke out as a large crowd gathered, demanding action against the officers. Following reports to court security, additional police personnel rushed in and took the policemen out of the premises.
In the melee, the woman vanished and is yet to be arrested.
Police said a case has been lodged against the three policemen on charges of trespass and giving false information to get access to a high-security zone, besides other charges.
Police said the woman and her paramour have been booked on charges under the Cow Slaughter Act and for BNS sections of conspiracy. Her husband has been released.
The DCP said the meat recovered from the vehicle has been sent for examination, and a report is awaited.
According to the DCP, the woman and her paramour met on Instagram about two years ago and grew close. (File) 
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