JANKIPURAM CASE: Neighbourhood priest, two domestic workers held for robbery-murder of 74-yr-old woman
A priest and two domestic workers were arrested for the murder of 74-year-old Neelima Srivastava, highlighting dangers faced by seniors living alone.
:Following the arrest of a priest and two domestic workers, the Janakipuram murder of a 74-year-old woman has once again underscored the grim truth: how seniors living alone are alarmingly exposed, and how danger can emerge from familiar faces within the neighbourhood.
Seventy four-year-old Neelima Srivastava was found murdered inside her home on December 3.
A joint team from the North Zone Crime Unit, Surveillance Cell, and Jankipuram Police Station arrested the accused from Saleem Tiraha on December 5 and recovered stolen items. The accused have been identified as Jitendra Mishra (50), a priest who frequently visited the area, along with Hardoi resident Deepak Kumar alias Deepu (32) and Sitapur resident Sushil Kumar (38), both of whom worked as domestic help in a nearby household.
All three were familiar faces in the neighbourhood and had access to the homes nearby.
Lucknow deputy commissioner of police (DCP), North, Gopal Krishna Chowdhary informed media persons that during interrogation, the prime accused Jitendra Mishra confessed that he and the two co-accused had been observing the elderly woman, who lived alone. The domestic workers had allegedly informed Mishra that the victim had gold coins, jewellery and cash in her home. Enticed by the possibility of a major theft, the trio devised a plan to break in. The co-accused have been booked for their alleged roles in the conspiracy.
On December 2, Mishra slipped into the victim’s home and hid under a cot, when she momentarily stepped outside. Although the woman entered the room several times, she did not notice him. Later that night, when she woke up and saw him rummaging through her cupboards, she recognised him and shouted his name. Fearing he had been identified, Mishra allegedly smothered and strangled her. He then searched the house but found no substantial gold—only artificial jewellery, some coins, purses and a small amount of cash. He placed the items in a jute bag and fled after midnight.
The FIR has been updated to include charges under sections 331(8) for causing death after criminal house trespass, 317(2) for receiving and retaining stolen property, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for committing crime with common intention.
According to police, further details may surface as the investigation progresses.
