A man in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar took out a loan of 40,000 to hire two contract killers to gang-rape and murder his sister-in-law, India Today reported.
The accused, identified as Ashish, was reportedly pressuring the woman to marry him. The incident took place in Bavana village in the district's Budhana area.
Citing officials, HT reported that Ashish, along with his associates Shubham and Deepak, lured the woman away from her home, gang-raped her, and later strangled her to death. They also burnt her body in an attempt to destroy the evidence.
While Ashish has been arrested, the two hired killers remain at large. According to the police, he has confessed to the crime.
Muzaffarnagar SP (rural) Aditya Bansal said that the woman was last seen on January 21, reportedly on a scooter with her brother-in-law, according to a Times of India report.
"The main accused was in an illicit relationship with her for two years. He told the cops that the woman was blackmailing him with some private photos and videos of them together," Bansal was quoted as saying by Times of India.
"Afraid of getting exposed, he plotted with his two associates. He took a 40,000 loan from a bank, paid the men ₹10,000 in advance, and promised 20,000 after the crime."
"The fact that her undergarments were found intact while the other clothes were burnt raised suspicion of sexual assault. Two condom packets were also found," he added.
