In a shocking case of marital betrayal and premeditated murder, a 25-year-old man in Basti district was shot dead, allegedly at the instigation of his wife, just seven days after their wedding.
The victim, Anees (25) of Bedipur village under ParasuramPur police station, was taking an evening walk outside his home on Thursday when Rinku (22)—his wife’s lover—approached him under the pretense of asking for directions. After engaging him in conversation, Rinku pressed a country-made pistol to Anees’s forehead and fired at point-blank range.
Anees was rushed to Shri Ram Hospital in Ayodhya, then referred to the medical college, but succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Anees had recently returned from Mumbai, where he worked as a Hydra crane operator, and had married Rukhsana (20) from Gonda on November 13. Unbeknownst to his family, Rukhsana had been in a relationship with Rinku for two years and continued to communicate with him after her marriage.
Police said that on November 19, during her chouthi ceremony at her parents’ home, the couple allegedly finalized the plan to kill Anees, with Rukhsana sharing her husband’s movements and location.
Initial inquiries confused police because villagers reported hearing no gunshot. Station House Officer Jharkhande Pandey explained that the bullet remained lodged inside Anees’s head, making it appear as a sharp weapon attack. Medical examination later confirmed the gunshot injury, redirecting the investigation.
Basti SP Abhinandan stated that a dedicated police team quickly cracked the case. Rinku was arrested, and the country-made pistol, cartridges, and other evidence were recovered. Rukhsana has been detained and is being interrogated; police are preparing to charge her with criminal conspiracy and abetment.
Anees’s father, Shamsuddin, said that even on the bride’s vidaai, local miscreants had stopped the car and threatened Anees, but no complaint was lodged at the time.
The murder has left Bedipur village in mourning, and additional police personnel have been deployed to maintain peace and prevent tensions.
