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Man kills ex-girlfriend over her friendship with colleague: Lucknow Police
The six-year relationship had ended months ago; the victim left home on May 17 and was found dead near Utrethia railway line next day.
Jealousy over a former girlfriend’s growing friendship with another man allegedly led a 23-year-old man to kill a 22-year-old woman near the Utrethia railway line on the outskirts of Lucknow, police said on Tuesday after solving the case.
Police identified the accused as Prem Kumar Manjhi, who was arrested by the Sushant Golf City Police and a surveillance team from under the Sector-8 underpass on Shaheed Path. An uncemented brick allegedly used in the crime was also recovered, said ADCP (South) Vasanth Rallapalli.
According to police, the victim Shivani, a resident of Eldeco Udyan-2, had been in a relationship with the accused for around six years. Investigators said tensions had been rising in recent months after she reportedly became close to a male colleague identified as Manish.
Police stated that Prem became increasingly possessive and suspicious after seeing photographs of Shivani with the colleague on her mobile phone. Officials clarified that the accused was not disturbed by her engagement elsewhere, but allegedly could not accept her friendship and meetings with the other man.
Shivani had left home on May 17 morning saying she was going for work, but did not return. Her body was recovered the next day in a forested area near the Awas Vikas Yojna-Utrethia railway line with multiple head injuries.
Following a complaint by her mother Geeta Devi, a murder case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified persons. Police formed four teams and used CCTV footage, electronic surveillance and local intelligence to trace the accused.
During interrogation, Prem allegedly confessed to the crime. Police said he took Shivani on a motorcycle on May 17 around 9.30 pm to an isolated area near the railway line, where he allegedly strangled her using a rubber pipe and dragged the body into bushes.
He then allegedly struck her head multiple times with a stone and later disposed of her mobile phone in the Telibagh canal to destroy evidence, police added. A charge under Section 238 of the BNS has also been included for destruction of evidence.
The accused has been sent to judicial custody. Police said no previous criminal record has been found against him so far.
