In the horrifying case that sent shockwaves through Rajasthan's Alwar district, a woman and her lover have been arrested for the brutal murder of her husband, whose body was discovered stuffed in a blue plastic drum on the roof of their rented home. The crime, fueled by a clandestine six-year affair, unfolded in the quiet Adarsh Colony of Khairthal-Tijara, revealing a web of deceit, violence, and desperate cover-up attempts.
The victim, 30-year-old Hansram alias Suraj, originally from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a laborer at a local brick kiln where he worked alongside his killer, 35-year-old Jitendra Sharma. Hansram's wife, Lakshmi Devi alias Sunita, had been in a secret relationship with Jitendra for six years, during which time Jitendra reportedly manipulated situations to keep Hansram away on errands, allowing the affair to flourish. Tensions escalated due to Hansram's alcohol addiction and frequent domestic disputes, including arguments over Lakshmi's habit of making Instagram reels, which strained their marriage further.
On the night of August 15, a heated argument erupted after Hansram, in a drunken rage, allegedly threatened to harm his wife and children. According to chilling revelations from the couple's young son, who witnessed the horror, Jitendra—whom the child called "uncle"—held Hansram's mouth shut while Lakshmi gripped his legs, causing him to lose consciousness. Police investigations suggest the pair then slit Hansram's throat with a sharp weapon, as confirmed by the post-mortem report. To hasten decomposition and mask the crime, they sprinkled salt over the body before cramming it into a blue drum that Lakshmi had borrowed from the landlady, Mithlesh Devi—Jitendra's mother—under the pretense of storing water.
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The body remained hidden on the terrace until August 17, when neighbors, alerted by an unbearable foul stench, notified the authorities at Kishangarhbas Police Station. Upon arrival, police uncovered the gruesome scene, leading to a swift manhunt. Lakshmi and Jitendra, who had fled with the couple's three minor children and spent a night in a nearby hotel, were apprehended the following evening at a brick kiln in Alwada village, Alwar district. During interrogation, the duo confessed, with Jitendra even admitting to the child that he had killed Hansram to protect the family from his threats.
Superintendent of Police Manish Chaudhary stated that the motive was clearly to eliminate Hansram and conceal the long-standing affair. Adding a layer of intrigue, Jitendra's past is under scrutiny: his first wife died suspiciously from electrocution 11 years ago, and he had a previous live-in relationship with another married woman. The landlady, Mithlesh Devi, expressed shock, claiming ignorance of the plot hatched under her roof.
The children have been safely reunited with their paternal grandfather, while Hansram's father demanded severe punishment for the accused during the post-mortem proceedings. Authorities are probing whether the murder was premeditated or spurred by the altercation, with forensic reports expected to provide more clarity. This case echoes a disturbing trend of "drum murders" in India, highlighting the dark underbelly of illicit relationships gone awry.
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