The couple on the day of their wedding. Anjali was unhappy with her marriage to Ashish and had returned to her parents’ home days after, police said. (Special Arrangement)
On the face of it, it looked like a hit-and-run robbery. On January 30, a newly-wed couple lay by the roadside, seemingly stripped of their gold — suggesting they had been run over and robbed by a passing vehicle.
What unfolded over the next few days allegedly revealed an unhappy marriage, a web of lies and, at its centre, a murder conspiracy that harks back to last year’s Meghalaya honeymoon case.
On February 3, police arrested Anjali, 23, her alleged lover Sanjay alias Sanju, 25, and two others, Rohit alias Rocky, 20, and Badal alias Siddharth 20, for allegedly planning the murder of 27-year-old private school teacher Ashish Kumar. Police said the murder was plotted by Ashish’s wife Anjali, who had recently rekindled her relationship with Sanjay and wanted her husband out of the way.
According to the police, Ashish was found dead on a road passing through village 01 KLM in the Rawla police station area. Lying nearby was his wife Anjali, whom he had married three months earlier.
A video from the wedding ceremony of 27-year-old private school teacher Ashish Kumar and Anjali. According to police, Ashish was found dead on a road. Lying nearby was his wife, whom he had married three months earlier.
Tap to read:https://t.co/KCsZLacLFgpic.twitter.com/STuIGnDFe9
While Ashish was declared dead on arrival at the nearest hospital, Anjali, who was taken to a hospital in Bikaner, told her family that her husband had been run over by an unknown vehicle while the couple were out for a post-dinner walk.
Police, however, grew suspicious after the postmortem revealed that Ashish had been beaten with sticks and strangled. SHO, Rawla police station, Balwant Singh said Anjali was unhappy with her marriage and had returned to her parents’ home days after the wedding, where she allegedly reconnected with Sanjay. The two then plotted the murder, after which Anjali returned to her husband’s home to carry out the plan.
On the night of January 30, Ashish and Anjali went out for a walk. As planned, Sanjay arrived with two friends and hid in bushes about 200 metres from Ashish’s house. When the couple reached a secluded stretch of the road, the accused allegedly attacked Ashish with sticks.
Ashish was killed on the spot, police said. To make the crime appear like a robbery, Anjali allegedly handed over Ashish’s mobile phone and earrings to the other accused and then pretended to faint at the scene.
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“Sustained questioning and evidence collected from the spot exposed the conspiracy. Ashish, who had joined a private school as a teacher just three days before his death, lived with his parents and other family members,” Balwant Singh said.
In June 2025, Sonam Raghuvanshi, a 24-year-old Indore resident was arrested in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly conspiring to murder her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, 28, during their honeymoon in Meghalaya. Police allege Sonam hired contract killers, including her lover Raj Singh Kushwaha.
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
