Kanpur: A 30-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder of her father-in-law, a prominent Kanpur medicine trader, after hiring a former domestic helper to execute the killing over domestic restrictions and financial grievances. The victim, 60-year-old Vineet Manocha, was stabbed to death inside his fourth-floor apartment at Ratan Orbit in the Kalyanpur police station area on the night of September 5. The homicide occurred while his son Subrat and daughter-in-law Shalu were attending an evening party. Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal confirmed on Tuesday that Shalu allegedly contracted their former domestic worker, Vishal Gautam, offering him six lakh rupees to eliminate Manocha.
Investigators revealed that the motive stemmed from Manocha’s rigid oversight of the family’s finances and daily activities, alongside the installation of indoor security cameras that left Shalu feeling under constant surveillance. While Subrat received a monthly salary of 35,000 rupees for assisting in the family business, Pharma Traders, Shalu was provided an allowance of 10,000 to 12,000 rupees. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) SM Qasim Abidi stated that Shalu initially approached Gautam roughly three weeks before the incident to stage a fatal road accident or poison the victim. When Gautam hesitated, she allegedly proposed suffocating the trader in his sleep to mimic a heart attack, promising the worker long-term employment following the act.
The operation was carried out after Shalu arranged a duplicate flat key for Gautam and coordinated entry through apartment security under a false identity. On September 5, Gautam and his associate, Raj Kishore, entered the residence using the duplicate key shortly after the couple left for their social gathering, hiding inside Shalu’s bedroom. When Manocha returned home around 10:55 PM to inspect the premises, he discovered the intruders, who subsequently overpowered him, inflicting fatal stab wounds before fleeing the scene.
Police apprehended Gautam and Kishore following a brief armed encounter on September 6, during which both suspects sustained bullet injuries to their legs and later confessed to Shalu’s involvement. Call detail records and digital forensics revealed 27 phone calls between Shalu and Gautam around the time of the homicide, alongside text confirmations that the residence was vacant. Following her arrest on Monday night, Shalu was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by a local magistrate, while police continue to scrutinize the possible complicity of her husband.
