Woman, paramour hire killers for 7,000 to murder her husband

New Delhi: A woman and her paramour have been arrested for allegedly hiring killers for Rs 7,000 to murder her husband at the couple's accommodation in South Avenue here, police said on Saturday.

A juvenile has also been held for the murder of 52-year-old Suresh Kumar whose throat was slit when he was alone at his home on June 7. However, his accomplice, identified as Aman, is absconding since the incident. Kumar's wife Anju and Shivam Thakur (21) have been arrested. Aman was Thakur's friend and allegedly hired for killing Kumar.

The couple stayed at the servant quarters of MPs' flats in South Avenue. According to police, Kumar did not share good relations with his wife, who was 16 years younger to him, and indulged in gambling. On the night of the incident, one of the residents had seen two masked men fleeing from the area.

During investigation, the police learnt that Anju used to often visit her family and friends in Meerut without her husband. This raised suspicion about her involvement and the police zeroed in on Thakur, her relative and paramour, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said.

Thakur was nabbed from a relative's house in north Delhi's Burari, he said. Interrogation revealed that Thakur had developed closeness with Anju, who is related to him. "Anju disclosed that she was not happy with her conjugal life. Her husband indulged in gambling at home and several people came to her house, to which she objected. He forced her to make tea and food for them at odd hours," the officer added.

A month before the incident, Anju had even consumed poison after a tiff with her husband. When Thakur asked her the reason, she insisted that either she or her husband should die. So, Thakur along with Anju hatched a conspiracy to kill Suresh, the DCP said.

Thakur involved his friend Aman, a resident of Meerut, who agreed and asked for money. Anju promised to pay him Rs 7,000 for the crime, he said. Aman, and his juvenile accomplice, left for Delhi. Suresh Kumar was sleeping alone at his home when the juvenile and Aman allegedly slit his throat, Verma said.

Kumar's wife had claimed that she and her children were out for a walk at Teen Murti Marg when it happened. Thakur was employed at a medical store in Meerut while Anju was working as a domestic help in MPs' flats at South Avenue, police said.