Wife, Lover Arrested in Staged Snakebite Murder

In Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district, a case initially deemed a snakebite fatality has led to the arrest of four people. The victim, Atul Panwar, was allegedly murdered by his wife, Damini, and her alleged lover, Tushar. The police revealed that Panwar was seen as an obstacle to their relationship and that the conspirators also aimed to claim his Rs 20 lakh life insurance.

Panwar, 35, was found deceased after being taken to a health center, with a snake discovered on his bed. However, suspicions of foul play prompted an investigation. It was discovered that Damini had frequent contact with Tushar, a school driver, and that they were in a relationship.

Authorities reported that Panwar was first given an overdose of sleeping pills mixed in milk. Subsequently, Tushar, with two accomplices, Sonu and Uday, introduced a snake into Panwar's blanket to cause death. The two accomplices were allegedly promised Rs 5 lakh from the insurance payout.

This incident followed an earlier attempt on Panwar's life approximately 20 days prior, when Tushar allegedly tried to run him over with a car. Panwar survived that attack due to wearing a helmet. The arrests of Damini, Tushar, Sonu, and Uday have transformed the case from a suspected snakebite death into a planned murder investigation.