Jharkhand double murder: Husband accused of killing wife, relative over child dispute

Khunti, Jul 10 (PTI) A man allegedly abducted and killed his estranged wife and a relative in Jharkhand's Khunti district following a dispute over taking their five-year-old son to her parental home, police said on Friday. The bodies of the woman and her relative were later found dumped under a bridge near Tajna River in Khunti police station area, Khunti SDPO Mangal Singh Jamuda said. The deceased have been identified as Neha Thakur (25) and Arun Kumar Rana (21), both residents of Badgaon village in Lohardaga district, he said. Neha and Arun had gone to her in-laws' house within Karanj police station limits in Gumla district to take her son to her parental home following which they had an argument, police said. "We suspect that both were killed on Thursday night and the murderers threw their bodies from the bridge. The bodies have been sent to Sadar Hospital, Khunti, for post-mortem examinations," Jamuda said. Preliminary investigation suggests that the woman and her relative were allegedly murdered by her husband, Kundan Pramanik, following an argument over taking the child to her parental home, the officer said. According to police, Nehal and Arun were returning on a motorcycle after the altercation when Pramanik, a resident of Dudiya village in Gumla district, along with three to four others, allegedly intercepted them. The accused allegedly forced both victims into a vehicle, attacked them with a sharp weapon and threw their bodies from a bridge before attempting to disfigure their faces, police said. The SDPO said the woman had been living separately from her husband and a maintenance case between them was pending in court. An FIR has been registered against the accused and others, and a detailed investigation is underway, police said. PTI RPS RPS MNB