Booze party preceded contractor’s murder in Lucknow; ‘girlfriend’ booked, say police

The nature of evidence indicates the killer was known to the victim and used the party as a set-up, says investigation officer

LUCKNOW New details have emerged suggesting that the murder of 46-year-old contractor Uma Shankar Singh was committed after a late-night alcohol and non-veg party at the victim’s rented house on Kursi Road. Police sources interrogating the suspects said the setting may have been used to lower the victim’s guard before the attack.

The victim was manipulated into investing over ₹2 crore in business dealings with individuals known to his alleged girlfriend...the motive behind the killing may have been both personal and financial, alleges wife. (Pic for representation)

Shankar, from Sultanpur, was found dead on his bed with his throat slit earlier this week. According to police, a woman who worked as his house help found the body around 9am and alerted the house owner, Mohammad Mustakeem Khan.

“Liquor bottles and cooked meat were recovered from the crime scene. The nature of the evidence indicates the killer was known to the victim and used the party as a set-up,” said a senior investigation officer.

“Three police teams, along with the crime branch, are on the case,” said SHO Gudamba, PK Shrivastava.

Based on a complaint by Singh’s wife, Mamta, the police have already booked the deceased’s alleged girlfriend, Vaishali, her alleged partner, Sandeep Pandey, and four of her family members for murder and conspiracy. The FIR also mentions prior threats made by Sandeep warning Singh to stay away from Vaishali.

“He was manipulated into investing over ₹2 crore in business dealings with individuals known to Vaishali. We believe the motive behind the killing was both personal and financial,” Mamta told media persons at the post-mortem house. She alleged that Singh’s gold chain and bracelet, weighing around 16 tolas, are also missing.

“The CCTV footage shows Singh and Vaishali entering the house on the night of the murder, but poor lighting limited the visibility of other individuals. The police have questioned the landlord and are scanning over 50 camera recordings from the area,” said a cop from the Gudamba police station.

While no arrests have been made yet, police said the investigation is in advanced stages and further action is expected soon.