Police on Tuesday claimed to have cracked the Kidwaipuri elderly couple murder case with the arrest of three persons, including the main accused.
The police recovered Rs 63,000 in cash, gold-silver jewellery and three mobile phones from the possession of the arrested persons identified as Bhushan Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav and Jitendra Yadav, residents of Karhara village in Jehanabad.
Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj said Bhushan, a former gardener of deceased couple Vipin Bihari Das and his wife Savita Sharma (both in their 70s), had plotted the dacoity and murder on Saturday night.
The SSP said Bhushan, who was sacked from the job, had tried twice earlier to carry out the crime ahead of Diwali but failed. On Saturday evening, Bhushan with his two associates, entered the sprawling bungalow of the couple soon after the maid and their domestic help left after completing their work.
Bhushan engaged the couple in a verbal duel on the pretext of demanding his salary arrear and held them captive when they were proceeding towards their bedroom. The couple was strangulated with a gumchaa (towel), which was lying on a table.
Bhushan then opened the almirah and looted the cash and jewellery. The trio fled with the booty through the main entrance of the building, as the couple's neighbours were busy with Chhath. Without losing time, they fled to their native village in Jehanabad after committing the crime.
Though Bhushan was sacked from the job a few months ago, he kept visiting the couple on one pretext or the other. He had visited the couple 10 days back and requested them to engage Dharmendra as domestic help, the SSP said.
Maharaaj said the police have gathered scientific evidence to corroborate the charges against the trio. The mobile phone network tower location of the trio and their conversation established they were present at the spot at the time of the incident, he added.
"The motive of the criminals was to loot cash and property. They killed the couple to hide their identities. The police suspected foul play after the jewellery on Savita were found intact," he said.
The visit to the spot suggested that insiders were involved in the crime. As a result, the police had questioned the deceased's son and daughter-in-law, who were not in good terms with them. The elderly couple lived on their own at their bungalow Salona Kunj in the heart of the capital.
The SSP said the police would request the court to put the case on speedy trial as there were sufficient evidence against the accused. The trio was arrested within 36 hours of the incident.
Though the incident occurred on Saturday night, the day of kharna, it came to light on Sunday morning. Vipin Bihari was a former mahanth of Begusarai Muth (temple).
