Kakori double murder: Constable used dept contacts, put his wife under surveillance
The police recovered the murder weapon and mobile phones used in the crime. Mahendra’s two brothers-in-law and a nephew continued to be on the run.
A day after the arrest of police constable Mahendra Kumar and his wife for the brutal murder of two men in Kakori near here, police sources said Mahendra, 28, had put his wife Ankita, 24, under surveillance with the help of his contacts in the department.
This was how he learnt about the link between his wife and Manoj Lodhi, one of the two men who were murdered, they said.
The police recovered the murder weapon and mobile phones used in the crime, while Mahendra’s two brothers-in-law and a nephew, who were part of the conspiracy, continued to be on the run.
“Mahendra, who is posted in Lakhimpur Kheri, was determined to find out about his wife after growing suspicious of her. He was able to check her call logs and noticed that she often spoke to Manoj during odd hours. This angered him and drove him to come up with a plan to eliminate Manoj,” the source added.
Chose official travel day to commit murder
To avoid suspicion, Mahendra and Ankita bought new SIM cards to communicate with Manoj. He strategically planned the murder while traveling between Ayodhya and Lakhimpur Kheri, ensuring his movements appeared routine,” said DCP West Zone Vishwajeet Srivastava, who supervised the probe.
On March 21, Mahendra instructed Ankita, her two brothers, and his nephew to carry out the murder. Ankita lured Manoj to Barkatabad Pulia by repeatedly calling him. When Manoj arrived on a motorcycle with his friend Rohit, Mahendra and his aides ambushed and killed him. Initially targeting only Manoj, they decided to kill Rohit as well, fearing he might expose them as he was Mahendra’s old school friend.
Two mistakes that led to arrest
After the murders, Mahendra left for Ayodhya, while Ankita and others returned home. To avoid suspicion, Mahendra reported late to duty, feigning illness. However, a fresh injury on his finger raised suspicions, as did Ankita’s inconsistent statements and visible injuries. Also, Ankita called Manoj using her genuine SIM card.
The case
Manoj Lodhi, 25, and Rohit Lodhi, 26, both residents of Pankheda, Kakori, were murdered near Barkatabad Pulia on March 21. Police probe revealed Ankita and Manoj wanted to marry when they were younger. In June 2021, Ankita married Mahendra, a constable posted at Lakhimpur Kheri Police Lines. After growing suspicious of his wife, Mahendra gave Ankita an ultimatum to choose between him and Manoj. When Ankita chose Mahendra, they began plotting Manoj’s murder in February.
Police surveillance
Police generally need a warrant or court order to access call logs, particularly for investigations into serious crimes like murder, terrorism, or drug trafficking. Law enforcement can request call detail records (CDRs) from mobile service providers.
