Man shoots wife dead inside Hardoipolice station; two cops suspended | Lucknow News

Lucknow: A 38-year-old man shot his wife dead inside a police station in Hardoi on Monday morning.The killing took place in full view of police personnel at Pali police station, located about 50 km from the district headquarters. The victim, identified as Soni (30), had allegedly eloped with her lover 5 days ago. Following a complaint by her husband, Anoop, police traced her and recovered her along with the alleged lover on Sunday. Both were brought to the police station, where Anoop met his wife briefly on Sunday evening before returning home. According to police, Soni was scheduled to undergo a medical examination on Monday as part of the recovery procedure. Around 10.45 am after having food at the police station mess, she stepped outside and spoke with her maternal uncle and a few relatives. At that moment, Anoop arrived at the police station premises carrying a country-made pistol. Without any warning, he pulled out the weapon and fired at Soni from close range. The bullet struck her right shoulder, pierced through her chest, and exited from the other side, causing her to collapse on the spot in a pool of blood. Police personnel present nearby were momentarily stunned before rushing towards the scene. As Anoop attempted to flee, he was chased and overpowered. Soni was rushed to a nearby hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries shortly afterwards. Her body was sent for a post-mortem examination. Superintendent of Police, Hardoi, Ashok Meena, ordered the immediate suspension of the investigating officer, sub-inspector Vikrant, and woman constable Sanjana Rajput for negligence in duty. SP also directed that a departmental inquiry be initiated. Soni was married to Anoop for nearly 17 years, and the couple had a 12-year-old son. Anoop told police that about 4 years ago he moved to Gurugram with his wife after securing a job with a private company. During this period, Soni allegedly developed a relationship with Surjeet, a resident of Shahjahanpur, who frequently visited their home. Even after Anoop brought his wife back to their native village about a year ago and began working as a daily-wage labourer, her alleged relationship with the man continued. In his confession, Anoop stated that Soni left home with her lover on Jan 7, prompting him to lodge a complaint at the police station the next day. He said police informed him on Sunday evening that his wife had recovered. “I met her at the police station and returned home, but I could not sleep the entire night. Around 4 am, I decided to kill her,” he reportedly told investigators. Senior officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain how the accused managed to enter the police station with a firearm.