NEW DELHI: A 33-year-old man was bludgeoned to death in Bhalswa Dairy by his ‘business partner’ for having an affair with his wife. Police said the killer was aided by two of his cousins in the crime. The victim, Arun Kumar, belonged to Loni in Ghaziabad. The incident occurred on the intervening night of October 4 and 5. Police said Kumar jointly ran a narcotics ring with Babu Khan (52). Kumar frequently visited Khan’s house in Loni and became close to his wife Zarina (45). This closeness evolved into an intimate relationship. Kumar recently rented a house close to Khan’s so that he could see Zarina more frequently. Things came to such a pass that Zarina decided to move in with Kumar. On October 2, she left home to be with her lover.
When Khan learnt about this affair, he informed his daughter and cousins Rashid and Imran about it. They all thought the family had been dishonoured and decided to take revenge. On the night of October 4, Khan and his cousins went to Kumar’s rented flat. They soon had a heated exchange during which the three attacked Kumar with batons and other blunt objects. Zarina was right there when it all happened.
Kumar was badly hit on the head and collapsed on the floor. The trio then forcibly took Zarina with them and left in an Eeco. Meanwhile, some of the neighbours came over to check what the commotion was all about. They say they found Kumar on the floor and rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
The police were informed and a case of murder was registered at the Bhalswa Dairy police station. On Monday, Rashid and Imran were arrested but Khan was on the run. Police said they were also probing the involvement of Khan’s daughter as she was also missing after the crime. “We have clues about his whereabouts. He will be arrested soon,” said deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Milind Dumbre. Honour killings are quite common in India, especially when infidelity is involved. “In such cases, it is also the responsibility of the family members to bring the situation under control,” said psychologist Avdhesh Sharma.