Jharkhand man killed days before wedding; fiancee's brother-in-law held

Giridih, Jul 11 (PTI) A 20-year-old man from Jharkhand's Giridih district was allegedly murdered by his fiancee's brother-in-law two days before his wedding over an alleged love affair with the bride-to-be, police said on Saturday. The victim, Niraj Hajra of Bheekhodih village in the Jamua police station area, had gone missing on July 5 after returning from Rajasthan ahead of his wedding, which was scheduled for July 7, they said. His body was later recovered from a deserted place in Bichkorwa in neighbouring Bihar's Jamui district, they said. Khorimahua SDPO Amarendra Kumar said police arrested the accused, Subhash Hajra (30), a resident of Jamui, on Friday. "During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and told investigators that he had been in a relationship with Niraj's fiancee and his sister-in-law for the past two years. He had allegedly pressured her to call off the marriage, but when she refused, he conspired to kill Niraj," the SDPO said. Subhash allegedly picked up Niraj from Jamua Chowk on July 4 on the pretext of attending a pre-wedding party. The two travelled to Jamui in Bihar, where the accused allegedly murdered Niraj after making him intoxicated, the officer said. Police recovered two knives believed to have been used in the murder, the scooter allegedly used in the crime, a mobile phone and a SIM card from the accused, he said. On Saturday, the victim's family and local residents blocked the Jamua-Pachamba main road for around two hours, demanding justice. The victim's mother, Boby Devi, alleged negligence on the part of the police, claiming the family had repeatedly approached them after Niraj went missing but no effective action was taken. She alleged that despite visiting the Jamua police station on three consecutive days after lodging the missing person's complaint, they were merely told they would be informed if any information emerged. PTI COR RPS RPS SOM