According to Lakhisarai superintendent of police S Premlata, Naresh wanted to eliminate his wife so that he could marry his wife’s cousin. She was speaking at Halsi police station, located around 16 km from the Lakhisarai district headquarters.

The SP said Khushboo had helped Naresh, an insurance agent from Amlabad in Bokaro district of Jharkhand, in hatching the conspiracy. Also arrested in this connection is Bharat Singh of Lakhisarai who allegedly carried out the job. The SP also said that Basant and Naresh have confessed to their involvement in the crime.

Khushboo, a final-year BA student in Gaya is the daughter of Suman’s paternal uncle. Only on Wednesday, when the allegation was first made by Suman’s brother, Rajesh, she and her father denied that there was any extra marital relationship with Naresh. They had then said that as a cousin’s husband Naresh used to come to their house too. Naresh too had told media that he had no such relationship with Khushboo.

Rajesh, along with his wife and child, was also in the car, which was waylaid on March 25. Initially he did not make any such allegations. It was on March 28 that he first suspected the involvement of his brother-in-law in the murder of her sister.

What is more intriguing is that Naresh was not going to his mausi’s place in Jamui, but to Suman’s mausi (mother’s sister) and as reported he was accompanied by wife, Rajesh and his wife.

Inspector-general, Bhagalpur, A K Ambedkar, who had been camping in Lakhisarai ever since the murder, was quoted in media as saying that police interrogated Naresh and Khushboo separately. “Naresh admitted that he had conspired to kill his wife and for that he engaged some contract killers.”

On the other hand Premlata, quoting Basant, a resident of Sirkhandi village under Halsi police station in Lakhisarai district, said Rs 30,000 was paid by Naresh as advance while the remaining amount (said to be Rs 40,000) was to be paid after the “work” was over. Three unsuccessful attempts were made earlier to kill Suman.

However, the local media is now saying that Basant has no criminal antecedents. Moreover, no firearm has so far been seized by the police.

Naresh’s family members at Amlabad in Chandankiyari are shocked by the disclosure. His elder brother Lakshman Prasad Barnawal, had earlier rebutted the allegation against Naresh.

He said the whole case seemed implausible. “He has never killed a mosquito in his life. How could I then suspect him of killing his own wife,” he was quoted in a daily.

“I have also heard rumours that Naresh killed his wife because he had taken out a life insurance policy of Rs 50 lakh for her. But I am not aware of any such policy,” said Lakshman.

He said that after the allegation levelled by Suman’s brother Rajesh, he had asked Naresh if there was any truth behind the charges but the latter denied his involvement and said he was being trapped.

He said that his brother, a Commerce graduate from Jharia,  joined LIC as an agent about two years back, and was doing good business. His conjugal life after his marriage in 2007 to Suman was also smooth.

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