Bhiwandi, August 6: Police in Bhiwandi have arrested a 35-year-old woman, her boyfriend and two others for allegedly killing her husband last month. The accused woman, identified as Shruti Ganji, allegedly mortgaged her mangalsutra and other ornaments to raise money for hiring a contract killer, who eventually killed her husband Prabhakar Ganji, a cab driver, on July 31. UP Shocker: Man Hires Contract Killer to Murder First Wife in Muzaffarnagar; Arrested.

Shruti was having an extra-marital affair with Hitesh Vala and wanted a divorce from Prabhakar, according to a report by TOI. Prabhakar, who was also in another relationship, had refused to give divorce, the report said. Shruti told her friend Priya Nikam about her situation. Nikam allegedly helped Shruti to contact Santosh Reddy, a contract killer. Odisha Woman Gets Daughter Killed by Contract Killers for Rs 50,000, Arrested.

In order to pay an advance payment of Rs 1 lakh to Reddy, Shruti had mortgaged her mangalsutra and other jewellry items. She had planned to raise the remaining Rs 3 lakh by liquidating fixed deposits. After receiving the advance payment, Reddy and her two aides booked Prabhakar's cab on the night of July 31 on the pretext of going to Airoli from Bhiwandi

"When the cab reached Mankoli naka, they asked Prabhakar to stop so that they could buy Chinese food from a stall. When Prabhakar stopped the car, the accused strangled him with a nylon rope and fled," Ashok Honmane, senior police inspector of Bhiwandi crime unit, was quoted as saying. Following the murder, police questioned Shruti who gave contradictory answers.

After sustained interrogation, she confessed. Shruti, her boyfriend Vala, her friend Nikam and contract killer Reddy have been arrested. Cops were looking for Reddy's two accomplices.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 06, 2021 01:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).