Woman, brother-in-law kill husband to continue affair, gain control of property

A Bulandshahr man's death, initially reported as suicide, is now being treated as murder involving his wife and brother-in-law. The post-mortem findings pointed investigators towards an alleged illicit relationship and property motive.Victim Sumit (left) and his wife Kajal (Centre) and her brother-in-law Umesh. A woman and her brother-in-law, both involved in a relationship, strangled her husband to death and then hanged his body to make the killing appear to be a suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, police said. The murder came to light after a post-mortem examination contradicted the initial suicide claim.Police have arrested the woman, identified as Kajal (30), and her brother-in-law, Umesh (30), in connection with the case.The incident took place on August 31 in Khetalpur Bhainsoli village. Police received information through Dial 112 that a young man, identified as 35-year-old Sumit, had allegedly died by suicide after hanging himself at his home.A police team reached the spot and began the initial investigation before sending the body for post-mortem examination. According to police, the post-mortem findings indicated that Sumit had been strangled and that the death was not a case of suicide.The findings prompted investigators to widen the probe and examine the circumstances surrounding the death. Several teams were formed, while statements of people connected with the case were recorded separately. During the investigation, police found that Sumit's wife Kajal and his brother Umesh were in a relationship. Investigators suspect that the two had conspired to eliminate Sumit so that they could continue their relationship and gain control of his property.Police said the alleged motive emerged from the investigation and evidence collected during the probe.According to the police version, Kajal and Umesh carried out the alleged killing when no one else was present.They allegedly strangled Sumit and subsequently suspended his body from a noose inside the house in an attempt to make the death appear to be suicide. The family was then informed that Sumit had taken his own life.The police said the circumstances surrounding the death raised suspicion, prompting investigators to collect technical and other evidence.Call recordings were also obtained during the investigation and allegedly strengthened the suspicion against Kajal and Umesh. The two were subsequently questioned, during which police said they confessed to their involvement in the crime.Sumit and Kajal had reportedly been married for around three years and had a child who is about two years old.Investigators are now examining the circumstances of the alleged conspiracy, including the property angle cited as a motive for the murder.Bulandshahr City SP Abhishek Pratap said, "On August 31, in Khetalpur Bhansouli village of Kotwali rural area, information was received through dial 112 that a person had committed suicide, on this information the local police reached the spot and a postmortem was conducted on the dead body, the cause of death was stated in the postmortem report, which made it clear that the youth had been murdered"."Teams were formed to investigate the incident. The brother-in-law has been arrested, the main reason behind the incident is that the deceased's wife and his brother-in-law had a love affair and both wanted to take possession of the property, so they both strangled Sumit to death," he added.With both accused arrested, police are continuing the investigation and gathering further evidence to establish the sequence of events and the alleged motive. Further legal proceedings will follow as investigators complete the probe and submit the evidence before the court.- EndsPublished On: Sep 2, 2026 22:12 IST