Wife, two friends hatched conspiracy to kill Praddyuman

Alok Mishra

Patna: Two days after the mysterious disappearance of one Praddyuman alias Aditya Raj, Patna police claimed to have solved the case with the arrest of three persons including Raj’s wife. Family members of Praddyuman had submitted a written petition with Dulhin Bazaar police station on December 5 about his mysterious disappearance. Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj, during a crime review meeting recently, had directed the SHO concerned to investigate the case scientifically.

Police said that during investigation, SHO, Dulhin Bazaar ps, collected information from the locals as well as the neighbours of Praddyuman. The cops after talking to his family members came to know that he had left his house on December 3, 2016, saying  he was going to attend a marriage ceremony. When he failed to return home till December 5, his family members reached  Dulhin Bazaar ps and lodged a missing complaint.

Police, during investigation, came to know that Praddyuman’s wife Khushboo allegedly had illicit relation with one Sukesh Kumar  before her marriage. A police team tried to gather information about Sukesh and came to  know that he was not at his house after disappearance of Praddyuman. Later, a police team arrested Sukesh and his friend Antosh Kumar for interrogation. Senior SP (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said that during interrogation, both the arrested persons made startling revelations. He said that Praddyuman was murdered on December 3 and his body was cut into pieces and thrown int a river near Balabighaha.

The SSP said that acting on the revelations made by the duo, a police team recovered severed hand, legs and body. He said that Sukesh told the police that he had illicit relation with Praddyuman’s wife before she was married to him. Sukesh told police that they could not marry due to some reasons, he said. Quoting Sukesh, the SSP said that the illicit relationship continued even after Praddyuman’s marriage and he regularly visited his house to have physical relationship with Khusboo. This infuriated Praddyuman and he had  heated exchange with Sukesh, he said.

The SSP said that Sukesh along with his friend Antosh Kumar, who was also Praddyuman’s friend, hatched a conspiracy to eliminate him. Antosh and Raj used to lend money. The SSP said that both of them invited Praddyuman on pretext of visiting Jehanabad and the trio later visited Jehanabad. He said that during return journey, both offered liquor to Praddyuman and then strangulated him to death at Balabighaha. The SSP said that Praddyuman’s body was cut into pieces so that the cops do not have any suspicion. Praddyuman’s wife right from the beginning was aware of the conspiracy to eliminate her husband, he said.

The SSP said that the arrested persons had been identified as Sukesh Kumar, a native of Dulhin Bazaar in Patna, Antosh Kumar, a native of village Dharhara under Paliganj ps in Patna, and Khushboo Devi, wife of Praddyuman and native of village Sadawah under Dulhin Bazaar ps in Patna.