Raisen police on Saturday claimed to have solved the mystery behind the murder of the wife and daughter of the Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) in Obedullaganj, around 45 km from the State Capital. A 23-year old youth, Naveen Tatpal, was arrested within 48 hours of the incident. The wife and daughter of the CMO were found murdered at their house in Obedullaganj town of Raisen district on Thursday. District police had formed six teams to probe the murder on Friday morning.
Raisen SP Deepak Verma said 50-year old Mridula, wife of CMO Bhupendra Singh, and his daughter Pratiksha (22) were stabbed to death. Forensic experts who inspected the scene of crime said multiple stab injuries were inflicted on their bodies and their throats were slit.
Verma said accused Naveen Tatpal was in one-sided love with Pratiksha and was apparently annoyed over her parent's decision to marry her to someone else. According to the police theory, Tatpal used to study with deceased Pratiksha and was known to her for the last six years and they were close friends and they used to remain in continuous contact through social media.
Meanwhile, the accused fell in one-sided love with the deceased. When the family of the girl came to know of this they warned him to mend his ways, but he did not understand and continued stalking the deceased Pratiksha. The deceased also disassociated herself from the accused but he continued to follow her and when he realized all his efforts were futile he decided to eliminate her.
On the Holi day, he sent her an SMS of festival greetings and wanted to meet her at her residence. On the next day when deceased's father, sister and brother went out for work, he reached her home and entered her room. After entering her room he took out the knife and put it on her neck and threatened that if she could not marry him, then she could not anyone else too. The deceased screamed in fear and this disturbed the accused. He stabbed her several times, on her neck and temple.
The noise attracted the deceased's mother's attention and when she entered the room, the accused stabbed her with the knife in her neck and chest. She too fell. Thereafter, the accused went into another room and created a scene of loot and took possession of some of the belongings of her father and hers and left the scene through the back door.
In the investigation that followed, the accused emerged as the prime suspect and when he was taken into custody and interrogated, he confessed to the crime.