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Wholesale grain trader killed, wife shot at in Rae Bareli village
Rae Bareli superintendent of police (SP) Yashveer Singh said the incident took place in Mahraniganj village under Khiro police station limits at around 1:45am. The deceased was identified as Sukhdev Lodhi and his wife as Sarojini Devi (42).
A 45-year-old wholesale grain trader was murdered allegedly by unidentified assailants while he and his wife were sleeping on the rooftop of their house in a Rae Bareli village under Khiro police station limits on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. The accused scaled the rear boundary wall of the house to gain access to the terrace, police said.
The accused also shot the trader’s wife in the abdomen when she resisted after finding her husband in trouble. She suffered damage to her liver, however, she was rushed to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rae Bareli, where she was operated upon, police said, adding her condition was out of danger.
“Initial probe has hinted at personal enmity,” according to police authorities privy to the investigation.
Rae Bareli superintendent of police (SP) Yashveer Singh said the incident took place in Mahraniganj village under Khiro police station limits at around 1:45am. The deceased was identified as Sukhdev Lodhi and his wife as Sarojini Devi (42).
Singh said the deceased’s elder brother, Anand Pal Lodhi, had lodged an FIR against unidentified assailants under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita sections 103 (1) (murder), 109 (2) (attempt to murder), and 333 (criminal house trespass). Multiple teams have been deployed to probe the case from all possible angles, including robbery and enmity, he added.
Another senior police officer said the nature of the crime pointed towards personal enmity. “The intention was to kill the trader as the assailants shot him thrice after causing multiple injuries with sharp-edged weapons,” he said.
The woman was shot at apparently when she tried to rescue her husband. Moreover, the four children of the couple -- Ragini (19), Shalini (16), Ayush (13) and Ayansh (7) -- remained unharmed, he added.
Traders stage agitation
Mahraniganj traders’ association president Anil Kumar Singh demanded immediate action in the case. He said the traders were agitated and in fear following the incident. The traders also blocked the Sareni-Sameri road and threatened to launch a protest if the case was not cracked soon. They lifted the road blockade after Rae Bareli SP Yashveer Singh assured them that the case would be worked out soon.
