Muzaffarnagar. A Special Court under the SC/ST Act in Muzaffarnagar has sentenced a woman and her spouse to life imprisonment for the murder of 22‑year‑old Ankit in the Jasola village of the Khatoli region. The presiding judge, Dr. Vijay Kumar, also levied a ₹50,000 fine on each convict. Both defendants appeared via video‑link from the district jail.
Background of the Crime
According to the prosecution, the tragedy unfolded on 7 January 2024 when Ankit visited Meenakshi’s house accompanied by another young villager. Ankit and Meenakshi were allegedly in a romantic relationship. When Ankit’s father, Ranveer Singh, and brother, Lavkush, arrived at the residence and found the door locked, they alerted the police.
Police Investigation
Law enforcement entered the home and discovered Ankit lying unconscious, bearing bruises on his forehead, hands and legs. The post‑mortem later confirmed that he had suffered multiple blows with sticks, leading to his death.
Meenakshi and her husband Sonu were taken into custody on 10 January 2024. After the investigation, a chargesheet was filed, and the court heard testimony from seven witnesses, including Ankit’s father and brother.
Assistant District Government Counsel Ashish Kumar Tyagi highlighted that the autopsy revealed eighteen distinct injury marks on the victim’s body. Investigators also recovered Ankit’s damaged mobile phone, a blood‑stained quilt, three hair strands, two shirt buttons, two scarves, a cotton cord and four sticks from Meenakshi’s residence.
The broken phone was positively identified by Ankit’s father. The case was initially handled by Circle Officers Dr. Ravishankar and Yatendra Nagar of Khatoli.
Court Verdict
The Special Court convicted both accused on a Friday and pronounced the life‑term sentences on the following Wednesday, nearly 997 days after the incident. The prosecution noted that Sonu, a truck driver who spent long periods away from home, had initially summoned Ankit to tend to his ailing dog. During that visit, Ankit and Meenakshi began an affair. The prosecution argued that Meenakshi feared her husband would abandon her if he discovered the relationship, providing a motive for the murder.
