Cab driver falls in love with passenger, both murder his wife months later

A man and his girlfriend have been arrested in Lucknow for allegedly killing his wife and dumping the body in the Gomti River. The two accused, the police said, first met around seven months ago when the man, a cab driver, picked up the woman, who worked at a call centre, for a ride she had booked.Their acquaintance soon turned into a romantic relationship. According to the police, Umendra Pratap Singh and his lover, Aarti Verma, allegedly conspired to kill his wife, Anjali Singh, after she came to know about their extramarital relationship and repeatedly objected to it.Investigators claimed the duo smothered her and squeezed her neck. After she died, they allegedly wrapped her body in a blanket and transported it in a car to a spot where they dumped it into the Gomti River.In an attempt to mislead the police, Umendra purportedly approached the police and lodged a missing person complaint, claiming that his wife had disappeared from home. Meanwhile, an unidentified woman's body was recovered from the Gomti River on July 31. It was later identified by family members as that of Anjali. Following this, the police registered a murder case based on a complaint filed by her brother and launched an investigation.During questioning, Umendra allegedly confessed that constant disputes with his wife over his affair had prompted him and Aarti to plan the murder. According to the police, Umendra took jewellery worth around 10 lakh from his house and handed them over to Aarti to create the impression that Anjali had left home with her valuables.The police said that the jewellery, two mobile phones and the car used in the alleged crime have been seized.Police further said that Umendra has a prior criminal record, with a case registered against him in Hardoi district back in 2020. His criminal history in other districts is also being verified.- EndsPublished On: Aug 3, 2026 08:53 IST