LUCKNOW: Rae Bareli police on Thursday solved the murder of a 45-year-old watchman within 72 hours, arresting his cousin who allegedly killed him over an illicit relationship with the victim’s wife.The accused, identified as Rajkishore, allegedly attacked Binda Prasad, a watchman employed at a Jal Jeevan Mission water tank project, while he was asleep on a cot at the construction site in Thakurain Khera village under Bachhrawan police station limits.According to investigators, the accused repeatedly struck the victim with a sharp-edged weapon, slit his throat, mutilated his face and severed parts of his nose and ears before fleeing the scene.The murder came to light on the morning of Tuesday when villagers heading towards nearby fields discovered Binda Prasad’s blood-soaked body lying on a cot inside the water tank premises. The incident sent shockwaves through the village, drawing large crowds to the spot.Police and forensic teams rushed to the scene and began collecting evidence. The body was sent for post-mortem examination while investigators launched an intensive probe to identify the killer.During the investigation, police examined the call detail records of the victim and his family members. The analysis, coupled with suspicious activity patterns, led investigators to Rajkishore, the victim’s cousin.Police detained the suspect for questioning, during which he allegedly confessed to the crime and revealed the motive behind the murder.According to police, Rajkishore admitted that he had been involved in an illicit relationship with Binda Prasad’s wife for nearly three years. The woman is the mother of two children. Investigators said the victim had earlier learned about the relationship and had reprimanded both, leading to growing resentment on the part of the accused.During interrogation, Rajkishore allegedly told police that he wanted to live with his cousin’s wife but she was unwilling to leave her family. He claimed that he viewed Binda Prasad as the biggest obstacle to his plans and therefore decided to eliminate him.Police said the accused carefully planned the murder and struck on the night of June 15. After dinner, Binda Prasad had gone to sleep on a cot at the water tank site, where he worked as a watchman.Taking advantage of the darkness, Rajkishore allegedly reached the site armed with a banka (a sharp-edged agricultural weapon). He then launched a ferocious attack on the sleeping victim, repeatedly striking him on the head and body. Investigators said the assault was exceptionally brutal, leaving severe injuries on the victim’s face and neck.The accused allegedly fled immediately after the murder, believing that the crime would remain unsolved.Based on Rajkishore’s disclosure, police recovered the weapon allegedly used in the murder. Following the recovery and collection of corroborative evidence, police registered a case against him and produced him before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody.Circle officer Maharajganj Pradeep Kumar said preliminary investigations indicate that the alleged extramarital relationship was the primary motive behind the murder.
