UP man killed by wife, lover using drug-laced tea; buried in backyard, skeleton found months later

NEW DELHI: Ten months after a man was allegedly sedated, killed with a pickaxe, and buried in his Kanpur home’s backyard, police exhumed his skeletal remains on Sunday and arrested his wife and her lover in connection with the grisly murder.The incident is a stark reminder of the spate of diabolical spousal murders in Uttar Pradesh in recent years. One case that shocked the nation involved a merchant navy officer in Meerut, whose wife and her lover stuffed his body into a blue drum.Nearly 10 months ago, Lakshmi claimed her husband, Shivbeer Singh (50), had gone to Gujarat for work. His mother, Savitri Devi, repeatedly tried to contact him, but his phone remained switched off, police said.Savitri Devi’s suspicions grew, prompting her to file a missing person complaint on August 19. During the investigation, Lakshmi and Amit Singh, her nephew and alleged lover, were arrested. They were detained for questioning on Saturday, officials added. Additional DCP (West) Kapil Dev Singh said, "Initially, they tried their best to mislead the probe, but later, during intensive interrogation, they confessed to their crime."

Lakshmi allegedly sedated Shivbeer with narcotic-laced tea, after which Amit Singh fatally attacked the 50-year-old man with a pickaxe, said assistant commissioner of police Panki Shikhar. "When signs of life persisted, Lakshmi allegedly hit him further, leading to Shivbeer's death," Shikhar said.Acting on the accused couple’s confession, police exhumed the backyard and recovered skeletal remains, a vest, and a locket, nearly 10 months after Shivbeer was reported missing.The family has confirmed that the vest and locket belonged to Shivbeer, the officer added. "The victim was identified through his personal belongings," the additional DCP said.According to neighbours, Shivbeer often argued with his wife after discovering her relationship with Amit Singh.Police said that call records confirmed frequent contact between Lakshmi and Amit, supporting suspicions of an illicit relationship. Both were arrested on Sunday, and further investigation is ongoing, the authorities added.(With inputs from agency)