In a major breakthrough, Godda Police arrested three individuals, including the wife of a 32-year-old man, for allegedly hacking him to death in Mangan-Pipra village under Mahagama police station limits.
The victim, Amit Modi, who ran a betel shop, was murdered during the intervening night of January 27 and 28. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Godda Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar carried out the probe using technical and human intelligence inputs.
Wife Named Prime Accused
The SIT arrested Soni Devi, the wife of the deceased, along with two co-accused — Mohammad Shahin Alam and Vijendra Paswan — both residents of the same village. According to police, Soni Devi is the prime accused, and all three have confessed to their involvement in the crime.
Godda Subdivisional Police Officer Chandrashekhar Azad, who led the SIT, revealed that Soni was allegedly in a relationship with Amit’s brother for nearly five years. The duo reportedly conspired to eliminate Amit so they could marry.
Police said Mohammad Shahin Alam was initially hired for Rs1 lakh to carry out the murder and later brought in Vijendra Paswan for Rs25,000 to assist in executing the plan.
Planned Attack and Evidence Tampering
On the night of January 27, Shahin allegedly lured Amit out of his house on the pretext of consuming liquor. He then fatally attacked him with a gandasa (a sharp-edged agricultural weapon) in an abandoned area of the village. The body was later dumped near a graveyard with the help of Paswan.
Investigators further stated that Soni Devi switched off Amit’s mobile phone and threw it into a river to destroy evidence.
Another accused, Rohit, remains absconding, police said. The murder weapon has been recovered, and further investigation is underway.
Officials described the case as a premeditated contract killing stemming from an extramarital affair, adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the absconding accused.
