Since the matter involved two communities, heavy police force was deployed in the Gukura village, where Thakurs are the dominant population. (Representational image.) Since the matter involved two communities, heavy police force was deployed in the Gukura village, where Thakurs are the dominant population. (Representational image.)

A 65-YEAR-OLD man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly killing his son and a married woman, who eloped together and then returned to Gukura village after 12 days in Kannauj district. Their bodies were found in a room, which houses the tubewell of the accused, on December 21.

Police said the accused, Mahendra Singh, has confessed to have killed his son and the woman for the honour of his family. His relative, Golu (20), was also arrested for helping him in the crime. On Monday, Singh and Golu were produced before court, which sent them to jail. Four other accused are wanted in the case.

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City Kotwali police Station House Officer Ajay Raj Sharma, who is the investigating officer in the case, said that Salma (34), a mother of three, had eloped with her neighbour Annu (18) on December 12. “Salma’s husband Akeel, a labourer, got an FIR lodged against Annu two days later at the Kotwali police station. The case was lodged under section 498 (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman) of the IPC,” he added.

Since the matter involved two communities, heavy police force was deployed in the Gukura village, where Thakurs are the dominant population.

“On December 20, Salma and Annu returned to the village but were not allowed to enter their homes. A panchayat was held the same day, where Akeel demanded Rs 2 lakh and four bighas from Annu’s father to withdraw the case against his son and to allow Salma to return to her family. The panchayat ended without coming to any decision,” said SHO.

“After the panchayat, Mahendra Singh asked Annu and Salma to stay in his tubewell room a few yards away from his house. The next morning, Singh’s family members informed the police that Salma and Annu have been found dead. Police found remains of noodles, which the two had probably eaten, in the room,” he added.

While the postmortem examination report confirmed that Annu was strangled, the cause of Salma’s death could not be ascertained. Her viscera has been sent for lab test, said the SHO.

Singh, meanwhile, lodged a complaint accusing Akeel’s relatives, Khilauna, Iqbal and Israr — residents of the same village — of killing his son.

Police said during investigation, Singh kept changing his statement and could not give a convincing reply about the sequence of events after the couple was sent to the tubewell room.

“Mahendra later confessed and said that he, along with six others, had gone to the tubewell room and handed over a tiffin box, containing food laced with poison, to Annu. They returned to the room after 15 minutes to find Salma dead and Annu in a semi-conscious condition. They strangled Annu and returned after locking the room from outside,” said SHO Sharma.

When contacted, Kannauj SP Dinesh Kumar P said: “Mahendra told the police that besides his aim to restore his family’s honour, he was also upset over Salma’s husband not accepting her and demanding Rs 2 lakh and four bighas for the settlement.”

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