The wife and cousin of the painter, whose body was found in Sector 54’s forest area on Wednesday morning, were arrested for his murder on Friday.
The accused have been identified as Sunita and Rajiv, both residents of Palsora. The victim, Sonu, hailed from Moradabad.
Rajiv was Sonu’s cousin and both worked as painters for the same contractor. Rajiv was allegedly in an illicit relation with Sonu’s wife, Sunita, which led to the murder, said police.
According to investigation, Rajiv consumed alcohol with Sonu on the night of Tuesday and later while returning home, he attacked him near the forest area in Sector 54. Rajiv is said to have stabbed Sonu before strangulating him and then bludgeoning him to death with a stone. He also took away his wallet before fleeing.
The accused were produced in court on Friday, which sent the woman, along with her 18-month-old daughter, to jail, while the man was sent to one-day remand. While the victim’s wallet has been recovered, the knife used in the crime is yet to be recovered.