Gaya, April 4: Khushboo’s neighbours have claimed that her affair with Naresh Barnawal was evident and they had spent Holi together, days ahead of the murder of his wife Suman.

Naresh and Khushboo have been arrested in connection with the murder of Suman in Lakhisarai on March 25. Besides the two accused, three other persons have been caught by Lakhisarai police. Sources said Khushboo had allegedly hired the three on a contract to eliminate Naresh’s wife. Khushboo is a cousin of Suman.

The Telegraph visited the town where Khushboo lived in a rented accommodation with her parents, two younger brothers (both physically challenged) and as many sisters.

One of their neighbours, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said Naresh used to visit Khushboo’s house frequently. “At times he stayed with her for three-to-four days. Naresh spent four days during Holi with Khushboo in her house,” the neighbour said.

“Khushboo was adamant on issues related to Naresh. On an occasion ahead of Holi, she had left home one late evening to go to Bokaro. The train to Bokaro leaves Gaya around 11.45pm,” the neighbour added.

Naresh is a resident of Amlabad coalfield under Chandankyari block of Bokaro district in Jharkhand.

Her parents had requested one of the boys in the neighbourhood to bring her back home. The boy said when he tried to convince her to return home, she turned down the plea and left for Bokaro on her own. Another neighbour said even as Khushboo’s father was not well-off, she used to wear expensive costumes. “Naresh used to spend a lot on her and other members of her family,” the neighbour added.

Police are, however, yet to gather concrete evidence to prove an affair between Naresh and Khushboo.

“Confessional statements of all the arrested persons have been recorded and submitted in court,” Lakhisarai deputy superintendent of police Rajvansh Singh told The Telegraph today over phone today.

On the other hand, a visit to the house of Suman at Seva Dalroad near Chand Chaura under Kotwali police station revealed that the affair between Khushboo and Naresh developed when Suman was pregnant.

Naresh had taken Khushboo to Amlabad, where she stayed for over 15 days. Lalita, the wife of Suman’s elder brother, Rajesh Barnawal, said the affair between Naresh and Khushboo had developed about three years ago when Suman was pregnant. Suman gave birth to a boy on February 27, 2009.

Since then, the relationship between the families of Khushboo and Suman had strained. Suman’s father, Rajkumar Prasad Barnawal, and Khushboo’s father, Arun Barnawal, recalled that Naresh had beaten up his wife on December 25, 2011.

She suffered severe injuries in her hands. On learning the incident, Rajkumar and his wife went to Amlabad, where Naresh apologised for the action that he termed an unfortunate incident committed in an inebriated condition.

“We did not have any idea that my daughter will be murdered. Suman often complained about the affair between her husband and Khushboo. But, she always asked us not to take any action and said she would handle the matter. We want that Suman’s son should be back to our family,” Rajkumar said.

He said chief minister Nitish Kumar should ensure a speedy trial of the case.