Manendragarh Chirmiri Bharatpur: In a sensational breakthrough in the murder of journalist Raees Ahmed in Chhattisgarh's Manendragarh Chirmiri Bharatpur district on May 15, police have arrested the slain journalist's wife who allegedly got her husband murdered by her paramour and his accomplice. The woman's paramour from Jharkhand and his accomplice are absconding in the case.
The slain journalist Raees's body was found a short distance away from his house at Mauharpara on May 15. The murder is believed to have happened during the early hours of that day.
Amit Kashyap, City Kotwali while speaking at a presser in this regard, said that they have accused the accused woman and slain journalist Raees's wife Safina in the murder case. Safina's paramour and his accomplice Khushi Khan are absconding in the case. “Prima facie only the wife as the suspect. Initially she misled the police during interrogation, but later Safina confessed to the murder saying that she had illicit relations with the accused Arzoo. On the day of the incident, she planned the murder on the phone with Arzoo. Raees was murdered the same night,” the City Kotwali said.
Raees was married to Safina Khatoon, daughter of Mohammad Yakub, resident of Mauharpara, five years ago. Both of them also have a three-year-old daughter. According to the police, since the last one year, Safina started talking to Arzoo Khan, a resident of Garhwa, Jharkhand, through social media. Arzoo Khan and Safina's got closer so much so that she left her three-year-old daughter and went along with Arzoo, but Raees somehow tried to save his married life by finding his wife as per police.
Safina Khatoon told police during interrogation that after talking to Arzoo on May 15, they hatched a conspiracy to kill Raees. As per the plan, at around 2 o'clock on the night of May 15, 2024, Arzoo Khan came to Mauharpara on a bike with her aunt's son Khushi Khan and went straight to Raees's house where Safina was waiting to receive them. After entering into the house, the two first attacked sleeping Raees with a sharp weapon and then strangled him to death as per police. To hide the evidence, both of them dumped Raees's body behind the nearby forest depot.
Police have seized the mobile phone used by accused Safina Khatoon in the incident and took her into custody on judicial remand. Police have booked her under sections 201, 120 (B), 34 of IPC. A team has been formed to arrest the accused Arzoo Khan and Khushi. According to City Kotwali Amit Kashyap, both the accused will be arrested soon.
