Man killed over extramarital affair, buried under house floor in Rae Bareli

The crime came to light after a foul smell emanating from the house alerted residents, prompting police to excavate the floor and recover the body

LUCKNOW The decomposed body of a 26-year-old man, who was allegedly murdered over an extramarital affair, was recovered from beneath the floor of a house in a village in Rae Bareli district on Friday. The crime came to light after a foul smell emanating from the house alerted residents, prompting police to excavate the floor and recover the body, officials said on Saturday.

Police said the accused buried the body beneath the earthen floor of the house, covered the spot with bricks and plastered it over in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. (FOR REPRESENTATION)

The victim, Amit Raidas (26), was allegedly strangled to death by Ram Prakash Paswan (31), the husband of a woman with whom he was in a relationship. The incident took place in Pure Rajau Majre village under Dalmau police station limits.

Police said the accused allegedly buried Amit’s body beneath the earthen floor of the house, covered the spot with bricks and plastered it over in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. Acting on information obtained during questioning, police excavated the room late Friday and exhumed the decomposed body.

“Rita Paswan (29) married Ram Prakash, a labourer, in 2016, and the couple has two sons. Following a prolonged marital discord, Rita reportedly began living at her parental home in 2020. During this period, she allegedly entered into a relationship with her neighbour Amit. The two also have a three-year-old daughter,” said Giriraj Shankar Tripathi, circle officer (CO), Dalmau.

According to police, Ram Prakash visited Rita’s house on the night of July 29, where he allegedly found Amit. An argument reportedly broke out between the two men, following which Ram Prakash is accused of strangling Amit to death before fleeing the scene, investigators said.

Rita told police she did not report the killing out of fear for her life and the safety of her daughter. The alleged crime remained concealed for nearly two days until villagers noticed a strong stench emanating from the house and alerted village head Akhilesh Yadav, who then informed the police.

A police team reached the spot, excavated the floor of the room and recovered the decomposed body, which has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause and time of death.

Dalmau station house officer (SHO) Raghavan Kumar Singh said a case has been registered against Rita Paswan and Ram Prakash Paswan on a complaint filed by Amit’s brother. While Rita has been taken into custody for questioning, police teams have been formed to trace and arrest Ram Prakash, who is absconding. Further investigation is underway.