Sahibganj: Police in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district have arrested a woman and her lover for allegedly murdering her 15-year-old son in Ratanpur village, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Meenu Devi and Rohit Sah, were taken into custody and later remanded to judicial custody after being presented before a court.
The incident surfaced during a police probe into the suspicious death of the teenager, Ayush. Initial investigations revealed that Meenu Devi was in an illicit relationship with Rohit Sah, who is reportedly her nephew.
Police stated that on February 7, when Meenu Devi’s husband Hemant Sah had gone out for work, Rohit visited the house. During his visit, Ayush allegedly caught the two in an objectionable situation and began raising an alarm. Fearing exposure, the duo allegedly overpowered the boy and strangled him with a rope.
After committing the crime, the accused reportedly dumped the body near a pond behind their house to portray the incident as an accident or disappearance.
Upon returning home, Hemant Sah was told by his wife that Ayush had gone to the bathroom and failed to return. A search operation by family members and villagers later led to the discovery of the boy lying unconscious near the pond.
Ayush was first taken to Barharwa Community Health Centre and later referred to Sonajori Hospital in Pakur, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police were alerted while preparations for the funeral were underway. The body was taken for post-mortem examination, and based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, a murder case was registered. Investigators eventually uncovered the crime after noticing inconsistencies in the woman’s statements and conducting sustained interrogation.
With inputs from IANS