Kanpur Woman Released in Father-in-Law's Murder Case After 21 Days in Jail
Shalu Manocha, wrongly arrested as the mastermind in her father-in-law's murder, is released after 21 days as police arrest her husband Subrat, who confessed to the plot.
A Kanpur woman arrested as the alleged mastermind in her father-in-law's murder has been released after a court granted her relief, with police now focusing on her husband, who has confessed to plotting the killing.
Shalu Manocha described her 21 days in custody as the hardest stretch of her life. She said what troubled her most was being separated from her son. "Every moment, morning and evening, I was haunted by thoughts of my son. I couldn't sleep without him," she said, adding that her family stood by her throughout the ordeal.
Vineet Manocha, a 60-year-old pharmaceutical trader, was stabbed to death at his Ratan Orbit apartment in Kanpur's Kalyanpur area on September 5. In the initial investigation, police identified Shalu as the mastermind and arrested her along with the family's former employee, Vishal Gautam, and his associate, Rajkishore.
The case turned when investigators found that the alleged killer had made six calls to Subrat, Vineet's son and Shalu's husband, from a newly purchased SIM card. Subrat was arrested on September 23. During questioning, he confessed to planning the murder, telling police he feared his father would move in with another woman and transfer his property to her. Police have alleged that Subrat and Vishal tried to divert suspicion onto Shalu.
Shalu declined to comment on her husband's role, saying only that the police and administration would ensure the truth prevails. She credited her lawyer, Shivakant, and her family for standing by her, and thanked local MLA Neelima for her support. "Truth prevailed," she said.
She said she has not yet decided what to do next and asked for time to recover. "I haven't thought about my future yet. Please give me some time to get back on my feet," she said.