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Lawyer, two others held for murdering wife
The lawyer killed his wife for dowry and then tried to pass off her death as a road accident, police officials said.
The Atarsuiya police arrested a lawyer, his junior and another person for allegedly murdering the lawyer’s wife, on Thursday. Two other accused, including the lawyer’s sister, are still at large. The lawyer killed his wife for dowry and then tried to pass off her death as a road accident, police officials said.
SSP Shailesh Kumar Pandey said that the police arrested lawyer Rajiv Juneja, 50, of Atarsuiya area, his junior Feroz Ahmad of Dariyabad and one Irshad Khan of Kaushambi district.
Juneja was married to Reshmi Sonkar of Muthiganj area in June 2019 but their relations soured. On August 8, Rajiv informed Reshmi’s kin that she died after being hit by a speeding SUV near their house. Rajiv also lodged an FIR at Atarsuiya police station in this connection. However, Reshmi’s brother alleged foul play behind his sister’s death and claimed that Rajiv was harassing her for dowry.
The police registered a case of murder on his complaint and started investigations which revealed that no SUV was seen on the road at the time which the lawyer mentioned in his complaint. Juneja, his junior Feroz Ahmad were interrogated during which they confessed to their crime. On their confession, another person, Irshad Khan, was also arrested.
The SSP said that Juneja, his sister, Natasha and Feroz Ahmad planned the murder with the help of Irshad Khan and another person of Dhumanganj area, whose name was also Feroz. Irshad was given ₹20,000 and was promised ₹30,000 after the murder. On August 7, they assaulted Reshmi in their home with an iron rod and hammer.
Later, they took the injured woman on the road and crushed her under a car to pass off the murder as a road accident. The iron rod and hammer along with a swift car used in the crime has been recovered and raids were being carried out to arrest Natasha and Feroz.
