Contract killers & a staged crash: How daughter plotted mother's murder for property

JAIPUR: A 23-year-old girl allegedly hired contract killers for Rs 7 lakh to murder her widowed mother and stage the crime as a road accident so she could inherit her property and secure a govt job on compassionate grounds, police said Tuesday.The conspiracy, allegedly hatched over three months, ended with Neeraj Sharma (45) being run over by an SUV travelling at nearly 130 kmph in the city’s Pratap Nagar locality on July 3.Police arrested Neeraj’s daughter Ayushi and her paternal uncle Mohan Swaroop (56), besides the alleged contract killer Hemant Sharma (20) and four of his accomplices. One Balram alias Ravi, Mohan Swaroop’s son and Ayushi’s cousin, is absconding.The SUV believed to have been used in the murder has been seized.Investigators said Neeraj’s husband, Vijay Kumar Sharma, a lower division clerk (LDC) at a court, died around a year ago, following which she secured a compassionate appointment in his place.Police said Ayushi wanted the job for herself and, to that end, began plotting to kill her mother. “Ayushi blamed her mother for ruining her future by not letting her get the govt job,” a police officer said.Ayushi, Mohan Swaroop and Balram reportedly considered several ways of killing Neeraj before finally deciding to stage her murder as a hit-and-run.An initial attempt using a rented SUV failed. Balram aka Ravi then arranged another SUV, and the trio kept Neeraj under surveillance for nearly a month.“Neeraj learnt about her daughter’s violent tendencies. She confided in her brother Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a resident of Bayana in Bharatpur, that Ayushi was going down a very dangerous path,” another police official involved in the investigation said.Police alleged the three conspirators hired Hemant Sharma of Bayana for Rs 7 lakh to execute the murder. Hemant, in turn, recruited four associates for the operation.On July 3, around 4.45pm, Neeraj was returning home after dropping off her differently-abled son at coaching classes when the speeding SUV driven by one of Hemant’s associates rammed into her.Police said the impact threw her nearly 100 feet, killing her on the spot. CCTV footage released by police Tuesday captured the moment of impact and the SUV speeding away from the scene.The investigation into the case began after Neeraj’s brother Rakesh lodged a complaint alleging murder. He said Neeraj had repeatedly complained to him that she was being harassed by her daughter, her mother-in-law and her nephew Balram over her property.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.