In a chilling case that police have described as a premeditated conspiracy, a 55-year-old property dealer was allegedly murdered by his wife, her lover and his associate in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar. Investigators said the victim was first sedated and then subjected to a brutal assault that included strangulation, electric shocks and repeated blows with a wooden stick.
The accused have been identified as the victim's wife, 45-year-old Manju alias Nazia, her alleged lover, 20-year-old Chaman, and his 28-year-old associate, Kishan.
According to Delhi Police, the murder took place on the night of August 9 after Nazia allegedly mixed sedatives in water and gave it to her husband, Munna Lal, to render him unconscious. Once he fell asleep, Chaman and Kishan allegedly entered the house and carried out the attack, news agency PTI reported.
Son was away for Kanwar Yatra
Police said Munna Lal's son, who usually stayed with his father and rarely left him alone, was away participating in the Kanwar Yatra on the night of the incident.
The couple had been married for 22 years and had three children, including two daughters and a son.
The crime came to light after police received a PCR call at around 5 am on August 10 reporting that a man was lying injured in the Ratiya Marg area of Sangam Vihar. A police team rushed to the spot and found Munna Lal lying in a pool of blood with multiple injuries.
He was immediately taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared him dead.
Police registered a case and launched an investigation. During initial questioning, Nazia allegedly told investigators that burglars had entered the house and killed her husband after he confronted them.
How police cracked the case
However, investigators began to suspect foul play after noticing inconsistencies in her statement. They found signs that bloodstains had been cleaned from the floor, while household items appeared to have been deliberately scattered to create the impression of a robbery.
CCTV footage from outside the house further strengthened the police's suspicions. Investigators found footage showing a masked man entering the house at around 1:45 am and leaving at approximately 3:15 am.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal, sustained questioning eventually led to a breakthrough in the case.
Police said Nazia broke down during interrogation and confessed to plotting the murder with Chaman and his associate.
The investigation revealed that Chaman, who worked as a mechanic at a shop near the couple's residence, was allegedly involved in a relationship with Nazia. Police said she had promised to pay him Rs 5 lakh to kill her husband and allegedly paid him Rs 20,000 after the murder.
Investigators alleged that Chaman arranged the sleeping pills that were later mixed into Munna Lal's drinking water. After he became unconscious, the accused allegedly strangled him with a rope, suffocated him and subjected him to electric shocks.
Police said the victim was also beaten with a wooden stick to ensure that he was dead.
After the murder, the accused allegedly cleaned the crime scene before ransacking the house to make it appear as though a burglary had taken place.
According to investigators, the motive behind the murder appears to be long-standing domestic disputes and financial disagreements.
Police said Munna Lal was financially well-off and worked as a property dealer, but Nazia frequently complained that he did not provide her with enough money. The disagreements allegedly led to repeated arguments between the couple.
Nazia and Chaman have been arrested in connection with the case. Kishan, who allegedly assisted in the murder and later sheltered the accused, has also been taken into custody.
Police recovered Rs 15,000 in cash during the investigation. Officials said further inquiries are underway to establish the complete sequence of events.
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