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UP woman killed 7-year-old daughter, then went clubbing with her live-in partner
Accused Roshni's lover, Udit Jaiswal, broke down during police interrogation and told the truth.
A woman in Uttar Pradesh, who, along with her live-in partner, allegedly killed her seven-year-old daughter, first kept the child's body in the bed box and went out to explore the city with her boyfriend.
The accused not only left the body abandoned at home for 24 hours, but also had a booze party at multiple places before checking into a hotel in the Hussainganj area.
The woman, before leaving the house, also climbed over the child's body by placing her feet on it.
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"Accused woman Roshni Khan alias Naaz, placed feet while her live-in partner Roshni Khan alias Naaz muffled her mouth, resulting in the innocent's death," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vishwajeet Srivastava.
The shocking incident took place on the intervening night of July 13-14 in Khundari Bazaar, under the Kaiserbagh police station area of Lucknow.
Here's a timeline of the case:
July 13 (Night): Daughter insists on staying with her father; Roshni and her live-in partner, Udit, allegedly beat and strangle her to death. They stuff the body inside the bed box.
July 14 (Morning): The accused duo leave the house, roam the city, and party at multiple locations.
July 15 (Early Morning): Upon returning, Roshni tries to suppress the odour from the decomposing body using an air freshener and air-conditioning. Called 112 to claim her estranged husband had murdered the child falsely.
July 16 (Tuesday): Contradictions in Roshni's claims emerge during a police probe. CCTV, CDRs and witness testimonies disprove her version. Roshni and Udit are arrested.
Accused tried to frame her husband for the child's murder
Later on July 15, early morning, when she returned home, a foul smell started coming. She took the body out and placed it in front of the AC to reduce the smell by spraying deodorants and room fresheners on it.
"After that, in order to frame her husband, she herself called the police control room on 112 to trap her, telling police that her husband had come to the house and fled after killing her daughter," the DCP added.
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The incident occurred on the night of July 13; however, the matter came to the police's attention on Tuesday, and the arrests were made on Tuesday after the police found the woman's theory wrong, who claimed that her estranged husband, Shahrukh Khan, killed their daughter in their absence.
Child beaten before death
DCP West further said that the minor girl was against the mother's illicit relationship and wanted to live with her father, Shahrukh. "On the night of July 13, she was insisting on living with her father when Roshani first beat her daughter blue and black before taking the extreme step," the DCP informed.
According to Srivastava, the motive behind the murder was to frame the husband into the case as she had lodged a case against the in-laws, including her husband, in the past. "The house where the woman lives also belongs to her husband, Shahrukh, which she wanted to grab," the DCP added.
Accused was addicted to party lifestyle
Roshni, who was previously a dancer at clubs in Delhi, began frequenting nightlife venues in Lucknow after her marriage to Shahrukh. It was at a club in the Summit Building in Vibhuti Khand, around four years ago, that she reportedly met her co-accused, Udit.
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During police interrogation, Udit said he first encountered Roshni at the club and was drawn to her dancing.
Roshni's neighbours claim that she was known for her party lifestyle. "She was so fond of alcohol and partying that she would go out to clubs despite her family's objections," said Ramrati, a neighbour.
"She would sometimes leave her daughter locked inside the house while she went out. She often returned late at night with intoxicated friends, causing disturbances in the neighbourhood."
Another resident, Sharafat Ali, described Roshni as socially withdrawn within the local community. “She rarely interacted with neighbours or took part in local events like birthday parties. But she was very active on social media. She frequently posted dance reels and videos from parties on Instagram, often seen with high-profile individuals.”
Former accused was never at the crime scene
Roshni beat up her husband and threw him out of the house on May 18. He lived in a rented house in Aminabad. When the police began the investigation, it was found that Shahrukh was not present at the crime scene on the day of the crime.
He was at his sister's place on the day of the incident. Inspector Kaiserbagh Anjani Mishra said that Roshni's brother-in-law Salman, mother-in-law Parveen and sister-in-law, who are in jail, were granted bail on Monday itself.
What helped police crack the case
When the police saw the dead body, it was stinking and infested with insects, indicating that the murder took place a day or two before.
Roshni's lover, Udit Jaiswal, broke down during police interrogation and told the truth.
A panel of doctors did the postmortem of Roshni's daughter Sona's dead body. And the report revealed that Sona died due to suffocation. The report also confirmed death 36 to 48 hours before the postmortem.
(With inputs from HT Correspondent)
