Bhopal, June 25 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested three persons, including a woman and her alleged lover, for the murder of her husband, four days after his body was found under suspicious circumstances near a national highway in Singrauli district.

The victim, identified as Raghunath alias Sarju Khewar (38), a resident of Bhari village, was found dead on June 21. Following the recovery of the body, Chitrangi Police registered a murder case and launched an investigation.

After examining evidence from the crime scene and questioning several suspects, police arrested the victim’s wife, Ramkali (30), her alleged lover, Neeraj Kumar Shah (23), and his associate, Suraj Singh Gond (22).

According to police, the murder was the result of a conspiracy allegedly hatched by Ramkali and Neeraj, who were in a relationship and wanted to remove Raghunath from their lives.

After cracking the case, SDOP Rahul Sanyam told local reporters on Thursday that the investigation revealed that Ramkali had developed a relationship with Neeraj while her husband was working in Gujarat.

“The accused considered the victim an obstacle to their relationship. They jointly planned the murder and executed it after learning that Raghunath was returning to the village,” Sanyam said.

Police said Raghunath had returned from Gujarat on June 19 and was travelling to his in-laws’ village to attend a family wedding. After being informed of his arrival, the accused allegedly put their plan into action.

As part of the conspiracy, Neeraj and Suraj allegedly called Raghunath to a roadside location on the pretext of consuming alcohol. Once there, they allegedly attacked him with a stone, causing fatal head injuries.

“The victim was lured to an isolated spot near the highway. He was killed by a blow to the head and his body was later dumped behind a roadside boulder in an attempt to conceal the crime,” Sanyam said.

Police said materials allegedly used in the commission of the crime had been recovered on the basis of information provided by the accused during interrogation.

All three accused were produced before a local court following their arrest. Further investigation into the case is underway, police added.

–IANS

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