NEW DELHI, Dec 2: Taking directly from TV shows, a woman faked her own death by murdering another with the help of her boyfriend and eloped but could not escape the dragnet of law. Though initially both her family members and the police took her to be “dead” but the plot was busted after the family members of the victim woman reported her on the missing persons list.
The accused woman Payal and her partner Ajay Thakur have been arrested by the Greater Noida police on charges of conspiracy and murder, the police said on Friday. The accused woman was inspired by a television show, officials said.
According to the police, Payal, a resident of Badhpura village – about 15km from Greater Noida, befriended the victim whose structure and physique looked similar to the accused and killed her with the help of Ajay Thakur. She also planted a suicide note in her own name, and tried to pass it off for a suicide, the police said.
Officials said the deceased worked at a mall in Gaur City area of Greater Noida, and knew Ajay. The accused revealed during questioning that the victim was of a similar build as Payal, and so the plan was hatched to fake Payal’s death.
Ajay took the victim to Payal’s house, where her throat was slit and her face distorted using acid and hot oil. She managed to pass the body off for her own even with her remaining family and later escaped with her partner.
“Payal’s family believed it to be her body and also cremated it,” the police said. The matter, however, came to light when the victim’s family lodged a missing complaint with the police. The police launched a probe and detained Payal and Ajay on suspicion. Dadri police station officials said the accused woman during questioning confessed to the crime, and revealed that she had watched a TV serial a few months back, and hatched the plan with her partner.
Initial investigation revealed Payal’s father owed money to his relatives. Failing to repay the loan amount, he faced harassment both parents ended their lives by hanging themselves. Following her parents’ suicide, the accused, Payal, decided to fake her own death.
The police also recovered a country-made pistol from their possession. A case has been registered and further probe is underway.
(Manas Dasgupta)
