100 questions, 309 calls, Rs 6 lakh murder plot: In eye of storm, UP's 'killer bahu'

Police have alleged that Shalu was the mastermind and had hired former employee Vishal Gautam for Rs 6 lakh to kill Manocha.

KANPUR: Police are seeking 15 days' custody of Shalu, the daughter-in-law of slain pharmaceutical trader Vineet Manocha, for questioning over the alleged murder conspiracy.Investigators are preparing more than 100 questions for Shalu as they try to establish how the killing was planned, whether anyone else was involved and what role her husband, Subrat Manocha, may have played.Manocha, 60, was found murdered at his Ratan Orbit flat in the early hours of September 5. His post-mortem found more than two dozen stab wounds on his chest, back, abdomen, stomach, hands, thighs and neck.A team of senior police officers and experts will question Shalu if the court grants her police remand, Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI."The questioning will focus on how the conspiracy was planned and executed, the role of those arrested and whether anyone else was involved," Lal said.Police have alleged that Shalu was the mastermind and had hired former employee Vishal Gautam for Rs 6 lakh to kill Manocha. Vishal and his associate Raj Kishore have also been arrested.Husband's role under scrutinyPolice said Subrat, Manocha's son and Shalu's husband, had not been given a clean chit and that his role remained under investigation."Subrat has not been given a clean chit. His role is still under scrutiny," Lal said, adding that preliminary investigation and circumstantial evidence indicated the possibility of his tacit consent.

Investigators are examining Subrat's call records and other intelligence inputs, including his contacts with Vishal.According to police, Subrat had helped Vishal secure private jobs twice. Investigators also said Shalu and Vishal had remained in contact for a considerable period.Police said 309 calls were exchanged between Shalu and Vishal between May 1 and the day of the murder. Another 49 messages exchanged during the period had been deleted, and investigators are trying to retrieve the data.Lal said police suspected Shalu had been planning the murder for about three months and had gradually developed contact with Vishal, who allegedly carried out the killing with Raj Kishore.Couple attended gathering on night of murderPolice are also examining the timing of the murder and the couple's presence at a gathering of pharmaceutical traders.Shalu and Subrat attended a weekly gathering of around 25 pharmaceutical trader couples on the night of the murder.

The gathering continued until about 3am, DCP (West) S M Qasim Abidi said."The people present, including Shalu and Subrat, showed no visible signs of stress or anxiety. They appeared normal, ordered food and danced," Abidi said.The couple returned home after the gathering and found Manocha's body, police said."The nature and number of wounds indicated that the attackers repeatedly stabbed him to ensure his death," Lal said.Police are examining CCTV footage, call records and deleted messages, as well as statements from people who may have information about the alleged conspiracy.Two accused arrested after gunfireVishal and Raj Kishore were arrested early Monday after police allegedly spotted them and they opened fire. Both sustained bullet injuries to their legs in retaliatory firing, police said.Shalu, Vishal and Raj Kishore have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.Shalu's family rejected the police allegation on Thursday that she was the mastermind. Her elder brother Dheeraj Arora said she shared a close relationship with Manocha and looked after his food and daily needs.Lal said the proposed custodial interrogation was intended to establish the alleged conspiracy in greater detail, identify any other direct or indirect participant and clarify Subrat's role, if any.