Mystery shrouds woman's 'suicide' in lockup

KANPUR: A 37-year-old woman, who was lodged in the lockup of mahila police station, situated next to the heavily guarded Reserve Police Lines, committed suicide by hanging under highly mysterious on Thursday night. She was facing charges of murdering her husband.
Identified as Poonam, the woman, her paramour and two others were arrested and presented before newspersons during a press conference which was addressed by DIG Rajesh Rai at Reserve Police Lines on Thursday evening.
The police claimed it to be a case of suicide. Intriguingly, Poonam took the drastic step at a time when there were four to six other women present inside the lock-up. According to sources, there was a small opening in the cell and it was at a height which one cannot be scaled without using a stool.
During investigations, the women told the police that they failed to notice anything unusual on Thursday night as they were sleeping.
"Poonam had used a `dupatta' to end her life. She and her paramour Shailendra Shukla alias Bablu had conspired to eliminate her husband Atul Shukla. Shailendra had hired a professional killer Rajesh Awasthi with the help of his friend identified as Ved Prakash of Shiv Katra in Chakeri by paying Rs 50,000 as supari," said a police official.
"On June 22, they asked Atul to reach Naubasta from his house in Majhawan village in Bidhnoo. The trio took him to Unnao in a four-wheeler. After murdering him, they came back to the city and dumped his body near Bharu Bangla village in Bidhnoo," superintendent of police (rural) A K Pande said.
A case was lodged under various sections of IPC, including 302 and 201, with the Bidhnoo police.
Pande said that the woman had committed suicide owing to the guilt that she could now not face her family and the society after the disclosure of her involvement in her husband's murder.
However, mystery shrouds the death of Poonam as there were six other women lodged in the small cell with women constables to guard them.
Sources said that the relatives of the deceased alleged that the police had harassed her during interrogation due to which she might have committed suicide.
The four accused, including Poonam, were to be produced in court on Friday. "Investigations are underway and action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence," said Rai.
A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident. The body was sent for post-mortem examination.