UP woman carries out affair with 2 brothers of dead husband, then kills mother-in-law over land dispute

The woman has been arrested for the murder of her mother-in-law.

A 29-year-old woman in Jhansi has been found at the centre of a sensational murder investigation involving the killing of her mother-in-law due to a dispute over ancestral land.

The woman, identified as Pooja Jatav, was arrested for the murder along with her sister Kamla and sister's lover Anil Verma.

According to the police, the three had plotted the murder and looted jewellery worth approximately Rs 8 lakh from the victim's home. Police said that Anil Verma was intercepted while attempting to sell the stolen ornaments to a relative. Verma allegedly opened fire on the police, prompting retaliatory gunfire and was subsequently arrested, according to a report by NDTV.

The incident took place on June 24 in the Kumhariya village in Jhansi district. The victim, Sushila Devi, was found dead in her home. Based on forensic evidence and witness statements, the suspects were taken into custody.

Superintendent of Police (City) Gyanendra Kumar confirmed that during questioning, Pooja confessed to orchestrating the killing with the assistance of her sister and her sister's lover, Anil Verma. Verma had fled the village shortly after the murder and was traced while attempting to sell the stolen gold and ornaments.

The motive, according to police, stemmed from a prolonged domestic dispute involving inheritance and land, according to a report by NDTV.

Affair with dead husband's brothers

Pooja Jatav, after her husband’s death, entered into live-in relationships with her brothers-in-law. First with Kalyan Singh and later with Santosh, who was already married. The extra-marital affair with Santosh, even led to the birth of a daughter. Ragini, Santosh's legal wife, objected to the relationship and moved out to her maternal home nine months ago.

Reportedly, Pooja wanted to sell the 18 bighas of an ancestral land belonging to her deceased husband and settle in Gwalior. While some family members agreed, Sushila Devi strongly objected to the sale, fearing Pooja’s intentions. This opposition is believed to be the motive of the murder. The land was currently under family control.