Prayagraj: Farmer, 66, kills 70-yr-old guard over affair with wife

Hazari Lal, a widower for over 10 years, had five sons and two daughters. He was found dead on the cot where he slept at the worksite, his body soaked in blood. His eldest son, Sonu, a daily-wage labourer, filed the murder complaint at Naini police station on April 3.

Published on: Apr 6, 2026, 19:58:20 IST

By Kenneth John, PRAYAGRAJ

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A 66-year-old farmer confessed to brutally murdering his neighbour over his wife’s love affair with the victim, 70, telling police that public displays of affection had driven him to kill. Ram Lal attacked Hazari Lal, a night watchman, with an axe on April 2 at a sand and gravel site in Dhanuha village of Chaka block, Prayagraj, killing him on the spot.

Hazari Lal, a widower for over 10 years, had five sons and two daughters. He was found dead on the cot where he slept at the worksite, his body soaked in blood. His eldest son, Sonu, a daily-wage labourer, filed the murder complaint at Naini police station on April 3.

Police sent the body for postmortem examination and deployed forensic teams and a dog squad to scan the area. Whispers about an affair soon became the main lead. Investigators zeroed in on the woman’s husband, Ram Lal, a farmer.

“The case left even seasoned officers stunned. The woman, Anarkali, 65 wife of Ram Lal in the same village, allegedly had an affair with Hazari, which had deeply strained Ram Lal and Anarkali’s marriage,” Sunil Kumar Singh, additional commissioner of police (ACP) said.

“We detained Ram Lal on suspicion. During questioning, he broke down and confessed to the crime on Sunday night. He told police that the affair had humiliated him. The two lovers would meet at public gatherings and bhandaras, despite his objections. His wife had even refused marital relations,” Brijkishore Gautam, station house officer (SHO) said.

“Over the alleged relationship, Anarkali had stopped speaking to her husband for some time,” a police officer said.

Police recovered the axe from under sand at Ram Lal’s home. Ram Lal was produced before court on Monday and sent to prison.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kenneth John
Kenneth John is a seasoned journalist with over three decades of reporting experience with different national dailies. As a correspondent with Hindustan Times, he is known for his impactful grassroots journalism, focusing on stories that amplify the voices of marginalised communities and bring issues of public concern into the spotlight. Over the years, he has reported extensively on education, women and child welfare, health, crime, infrastructure, environment, human rights, rural development, poverty, and public policy. His work has consistently highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable sections of society, particularly in rural and underserved regions. Recognised for his investigative and human-interest reporting, his notable stories include exposing severe child malnutrition in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where he documented instances of children eating mud to cope with extreme hunger. These reports drew attention to serious gaps in welfare delivery and prompted discussions on policy intervention and accountability. A keen observer of social and cultural transformations, he has covered three Mahakumbhs and two Kumbh Melas at Prayagraj’s Sangam, reporting on their religious, social, cultural, and administrative dimensions. Among his most widely discussed exclusives was the story on Uttar Pradesh’s first all-women gang, “D39,” in Kaushambi, revealing how poverty, child marriage, and domestic abuse pushed several women toward crime. His journalism continues to combine investigative rigour with deep human sensitivity.Read More

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