Man in Noida kills 25-year-old woman for ‘blackmailing’ him, held

The accused , during questioning, told police that he murdered the woman because she was blackmailing him for money ever since she had come to know that he was married. He further claimed that he was in a live-in relationship with her for the last three years.

A 33-year-old Noida-based man was arrested for allegedly stabbing a 25-year-old woman to death inside Ajnara Homes Society in Greater Noida (West) on Sunday, police said, adding that the accused has claimed that he was being blackmailed by the woman. The claim is yet to be verified, police maintained.

The accused (in blue T-shirt), a resident of Raipur village in Noida’s Sector 126, used to run a bakery in Sarfabad village.

Confirming the arrest, Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “Bisrakh Police arrested the accused around 7pm on Tuesday from Tigri roundabout in Greater Noida on the basis of a tip-off from an informant. He has been booked under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder).”

According to police, the accused, identified as Sonu Chauhan — a resident of Raipur village in Noida’s Sector 126 who runs a bakery in Sarfabad village — entered Ajnara Homes Society on the evening of January 20 under a fake name – Sachin. He then entered the house of the woman, who hails from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, and stabbed her in the neck.

The woman’s body was discovered by her elder sister, who lives with her and was out at the time of the incident, police said, adding that they were able to nab the accused after cross-checking the CCTV footage from the area and going through the woman’s call records details from the last few days. The woman knew the accused, police maintained.

The accused , during questioning, told police that he murdered the woman because she was blackmailing him for money ever since she had come to know that he was married. He further claimed that he was in a live-in relationship with her for the last three years.

Krishna said, “Sonu and the victim had met three years ago when they both were working as contractual employees at a Delhi-based government office. The woman had moved in with Sonu – first in Gokulpuri and then in Noida’s Sector 121. Before recently moving into Ajnara Society with her sister, she was living with Sonu in Ghaziabad’s Bhopura locality.”

He has also told police that he paid Rs10 lakh to the victim and her elder sister recently after they blackmailed him. “Sonu has revealed that the victim had, in November 2018, found out that he was married and has three children. He said the victim informed her elder sister and the duo started asking him for money. He claims to have given them Rs10 lakh,” said Anil Shai, station house officer, Bisrakh police station.

Police, however, maintained that they are yet to verify the claims.