What was initially suspected to be a death due to spurious consumption of liquor in Meerut’s Dorala area, has now emerged as a horrific case of premeditated murder. A woman, her lover and a jeweler conspired to kill her brother by lacing a can of country-made liquor with cyanide, police allege.
Police on Sunday arrested Alka, sister of the deceased Ankit alias Daulat, her alleged lover Pawan, and jeweler Ashok alias Soni, who is accused of supplying poison to $500.
Senior Police Inspector Avinash Pandey said the plot was to eliminate Ankit, but the poisoned liquor also killed his two companions – Baburam and Jeetendra – turning the plot into a triple murder.
The three men died on the night of April 3 after consuming liquor in Dorala. Initial suspicions centered on poisonous or false alcohol, but a post-mortem examination confirmed cyanide poisoning, prompting police to launch a murder investigation.
According to investigators, the motive stems from prolonged domestic violence and Ankit’s opposition to Alka’s relationship with Pawan.
Police said Ankit repeatedly assaulted his sister after consuming alcohol, and also recently molested her while drunk, leaving Alka extremely distressed. Unable to deal with the alleged abuse, she reportedly confided in Pawan, after which the two allegedly planned to kill him.
Investigators said Pawan then approached his acquaintance Ashok, a local jeweller, who was told that cyanide was used to clean jewelery and that a small amount of it could be fatal.
Police allege that Pawan paid Ashok $500 and got a can of cyanide.
In their first attempt, Pawan allegedly gave poison to Alka and asked her to mix it in Ankit’s food. However, investigators said she felt hesitant and did not carry out the plan.
Two days later, the plot allegedly moved to a second, more deadly plan.
According to the police, Pawan gave $100 for a local young man to buy a tetra case of liquor made in the country. After bringing it, he allegedly opened the package, mixed it with cyanide and carefully sealed it with tape to avoid suspicion.
The tampered with liquor container was then handed over to Ankit. Due to his alleged addiction to alcohol, he reportedly accepted it without hesitation and later consumed it with his two accomplices, Baburam and Jeetendra.
A senior investigator said: “The three had consumed alcohol and collapsed soon after. They later died during treatment.”
The deaths initially raised fears of a tragedy. However, suspicions deepened when police discovered that several other people had purchased alcoholic beverages from the same government outlet, but none of them had reported any illness.
This discrepancy led investigators to focus on the specific container of alcohol consumed by the trio.
The case took a crucial turn when police checked Pawan’s mobile phone and found a month’s worth of Google search trail related to cyanide, poisons and administration methods.
Investigators said digital evidence had become a key link in proving premeditation and conspiracy.
A police officer linked to the investigation said: “The search history clearly showed sustained online research on cyanide, its purchase and use. This has proven to be a decisive achievement.”
After continuous interrogation, the police arrested the three accused.
They have been booked on murder and criminal conspiracy charges. Further forensic examination of the digital evidence and chemical traces is now being carried out.
