Another husband killed
In a grim echo of the infamous Meghalaya honeymoon murder, a small town in Uttar Pradesh was rocked by a brutal crime of passion when a woman and her younger lover were arrested for murdering her husband and dumping his body in the Rapti river.
Another husband killed
The shocking incident unfolded in Siddharthnagar district, where 35-year-old Sangeeta Devi, married for 18 years and mother to a 12-year-old boy, plotted the murder of her husband, Kannan Kumar (48), with the help of her lover, Anil Shukla alias Vivek (27).
Another husband killed
Police said the crime was meticulously planned. On June 2, the couple visited the revered Vibhuti Nath temple in Shravasti. On their way back, Sangeeta offered her husband prasad laced with poison. As Kannan slipped into unconsciousness, the couple stopped at the 25-foot-high Kodari bridge near Balrampur and threw his limp body into the swollen Rapti river.
Another husband killed
In an attempt to cover her tracks, Sangeeta filed a missing person complaint on June 5, claiming her husband had vanished. But while the police scrambled to investigate, Sangeeta and Anil went off on a casual three-day getaway together. Her contradictory answers during questioning raised red flags, and when police traced her mobile location to the scene of the crime, the truth began to unravel.
Another husband killed
The final blow came from their 12-year-old son, who told investigators: “Papa went out with mummy and Anil uncle, but only mummy came back.”
Kannan’s brother, Babu Lal, who had long suspected trouble in the marriage, added fuel to the investigation by filing a complaint against Sangeeta, suspecting foul play.
Another husband killed
After days of searching, Kannan’s decomposed body was recovered from the river on June 10, around 1.5 km downstream. The remains were identified based on the clothes he was last seen wearing.
Police Circle Officer Sujeet Rai, who led the investigation, confirmed that the murder was premeditated. “Sangeeta met Anil five years ago during a train journey. Their affair grew, and Anil started visiting her home frequently. Kannan suspected something but was brushed off. Eventually, the two lovers decided to eliminate him permanently.”
Another husband killed
Sangeeta reportedly broke down during interrogation and admitted to the entire crime. “We poisoned him at the temple and threw him from the bridge,” she confessed coldly.
Kannan, who had married Sangeeta for love and earned his living through fish farming, met a tragic end at the hands of those he trusted most. Both Sangeeta and Anil have been arrested and are now behind bars as the community reels from the betrayal and brutality of the crime.
