Lucknow police have arrested three individuals, including two employees of the victim, in connection with the murder of a 71-year-old woman, the wife of a retired IAS officer, at her residence in the Indra Nagar area. The suspects are identified as Ravi Yadav (23), his brother Akhilesh (27), and their accomplice Ranjeet (27), all residents of Lucknow.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police Akash Kulhary, Ravi and Akhilesh had been working as helpers at the victim’s house for several years, while Ranjeet is a labourer. During the arrest, Akhilesh sustained a gunshot injury to his right leg but is in stable condition after receiving treatment.
The police recovered stolen jewellery valued at around Rs 1 crore, foreign currency, a screwdriver, a two-wheeler used in the crime, and the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) of the CCTV system installed at the victim’s house.
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when the retired IAS officer returned home and found his wife dead and their home ransacked. The police launched an investigation, and after questioning several individuals, they arrested the three suspects. Akhilesh confessed to the crime, revealing that financial difficulties and a dispute over money led to the robbery. He and his accomplices planned the robbery as they knew where the victim kept her valuables and chose a day when the regular domestic help was off duty. After collecting the valuables, the suspects fled on a two-wheeler.
Akhilesh also led the police to where he had buried the stolen items, including a bag containing jewellery, money, and the DVR. During the retrieval, Akhilesh opened fire at the police, resulting in his injury.
The police are continuing their investigation into the case.