TV
In a chilling case reminiscent of the recent Meghalaya honeymoon murder, a 25-year-old man from Bihar’s Aurangabad district was allegedly killed by his wife and her maternal uncle just 45 days after their wedding.
According to police, the young woman orchestrated the murder as part of a plot to continue her long-standing illicit affair. The victim, Priyanshu Kumar Singh, was returning from Varanasi on the night of June 24 when he was gunned down near Nabinagar railway station.
Shortly before his death, he had called his wife, Gunja Singh alias Gunja Devi, asking her to arrange a pickup. Minutes later, two men ambushed and shot him dead, NDTV reported.
What initially appeared to be a straightforward contract killing took a darker turn when investigators discovered that Gunja, in her 20s, had allegedly planned her husband’s murder with her 55-year-old maternal uncle, Jeevan Singh.
Inspired by the Meghalaya case where a bride and her lover allegedly killed her husband during their honeymoon, Gunja and Jeevan reportedly planned the murder in detail, according to a Times of India report.
Aurangabad Superintendent of Police Ambarish Rahul revealed that Gunja and Jeevan had been in a secret relationship for over 15 years. But she reportedly married Priyanshu in May under pressure. Unable to maintain the affair in secrecy, and seemingly emboldened by the Meghalaya incident, she allegedly decided to have her husband eliminated.
The police investigation revealed that Gunja and Jeevan hired two men from Jharkhand’s Garhwa district — Jaishankar Chaubey and Mukesh Sharma — to carry out the killing. They procured SIM cards and coordinated logistics for the crime. On June 24, after speaking with Priyanshu on the phone, Gunja is said to have shared his exact location with the killers, who lay in wait and executed their plan.
Suspicion arose when Gunja reportedly attempted to flee the village after the murder. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was set up, and analysis of her mobile phone revealed frequent calls between her, her uncle, and the shooters.
“So far, three people, including Gunja, have been arrested. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend Jeevan Singh,” SP Rahul said, adding that Gunja confessed during interrogation.
The murder has sent shockwaves through the community due to its disturbing resemblance to the Meghalaya case involving newlywed Sonam and her lover Raj Kushawa, who were accused of murdering Sonam’s husband during their honeymoon in May. Like the Meghalaya case, multiple hired accomplices were allegedly involved in the Aurangabad killing, sparking widespread public outrage.
Police say call records and forensic evidence are expected to play a critical role in building a strong case against the accused.
