Haldwani (Uttarakhand) : In Sir Arthur Konan Doyle’s ‘The Speckled Band’, wicked Dr Roylott tamed a swamp adder (deadly poisonous snake found in India) to murder his step-daughter – the mystery only to be solved by the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Centuries later, the mystery story was replicated at Haldwani in Uttarakhand where a young woman aided by a snake charmer allowed her lover to be bitten to death by a deadly cobra. Police suspects that the woman invited her 32-year-old lover to her residence and eliminated him because he was posing a threat to her newly found love.
The Crime Scene:
The lifeless body of Ankit Chauhan, a 32-year-old auto showroom businessman from Rampur Road, Rambagh, was discovered in the back seat of his car on Teen Pani Bypass Road on July 15. Initially believed to be a case of suffocation, further examination revealed snake bite marks on both of Ankit's feet. This unexpected discovery raised suspicions among the victim's family, leading his sister, Isha Chauhan, to file a police complaint, asserting that her brother had been murdered after visiting a woman named Mahi on July 14.
Unveiling the Conspiracy:
As the investigation progressed, it came to light that Mahi, a resident of Gorapadav, had conspired to eliminate Ankit Chauhan due to his interference in her blossoming relationship with a man named Deep Kandpal. Determined to rid herself of this obstacle, Mahi devised a murder plot and sought the assistance of a snake catcher from Udham Singh Nagar.