Ghaziabad: Woman, male friend arrested for murdering her husband

Raut overpowered Singh, and together the two suspects allegedly strangled him to death before returning to their homes, said police

The police on Saturday arrested a 45-year-old woman and her 42-year-old male friend on charges of killing the woman’s husband on a green belt in Indirapuram on December 1, 2024.

Jay Kumar Raut resided in the same building as the Singh’s in Prahladgarhi near Vasundhara. He soon became friends with Kapoori Devi and was in a relationship with her for last one year. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Police said the two were in an illicit relationship, and the woman’s husband spotted them together, and this allegedly led to his murder.

Police said deceased Gajraj Singh, 45, went missing after he stepped out of his house on December 1, 2024. Some locals spotted his body on December 3, 2024, and police were informed.

The officials said that Singh’s son gave a police complaint and raised the suspicion that his father was murdered. Police said they arrested Singh’s wife, Kapoori Devi, 42, and her friend Jay Kumar Raut, 40, on Saturday.

Investigators said Raut resided in the same building as the Singhs in Prahladgarhi near Vasundhara. Raut soon became friends with Kapoori Devi and was in a relationship with her since the past one year.

“Jay Kumar, after his arrest, admitted to the murder along with the woman. He said he was married and his wife and children were staying at his home town in Sitamarhi in Bihar. He added that for the past one year, he was in a relationship with the woman, and her husband had become suspicious about their relationship,” said Abhishek Srivastava, assistant commissioner of police, Indirapuram.

“On the evening of December 1, 2024, Singh decided to follow Kapoori devi and he reached the green belt where he spotted Devi and Raut together. When they realised that Singh had tailed them to the green belt, Raut and Kapoori Devi decided to get rid of him to keep their affair a secret,” said Srivastava.

Police said Raut overpowered Singh, and together the two suspects allegedly strangled him to death before returning to their homes.

“Raut later went absconding. Singh’s son got an FIR registered for murder at Indirapuram police station after the body was discovered in the green belt. Police said they used CCTV footage to trace Singh’s movement on December 1, 2024, and also checked the call detail records of his wife, which indicated that she was in regular touch with Raut. The two suspects accepted strangulating Singh at the green belt,” Srivastava said.

Police said Raut was nabbed from the Vasundhara crossing on Saturday, and he, along with the woman, was booked for murder.