Sati incident turns out to be case of revenge killing

Lucknow, May 22 (UNI) The woman, whom villagers claimed had committed 'sati' in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, was in fact forced to jump on her husband's burning pyre by her brothers-in-law police today said.

Fatehpur police, which had earlier registered a case under section 306 of IPC against Vidyawati's brothers-in-law and about 200 villagers for abetting the crime, has now converted the case into that of murder.

While Ram Vishal and Kartar have been arrested, Prem Lal is still at large.

Police claimed Vidyawati had planned the murder of her husband Lakhanlal with the help of her paramour Rohit with the aim of getting the Rs 10 lakh insurance money.

An insurance agent, Rohit had suggested Lakhanlal get insured for the amount.

But, Vidyawati and Rohit's plan to recover the insurance money went haywire when villagers got agitated after recovery of Lakhanlal's semi-decomposed body near a railway track. He had ligature marks which indicated murder.

Fatehpur SP Vir Bahadur Singh said Rohit too had been arrested and he confessed the crime.

A State Women's Commission team had visited Rari Khurd village, where the incident had taken place on Wednesday. The team had also said it seemed to be a case of murder and not suicide.

Angry villagers had apparently subjected Vidyawati to mental and physical torture after the recovery of Lakhan Lal's body and it is widely suspected that the villagers, along with Lakhan Lal's brothers forced Vidyawati to jump on her husband's pyre.

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