Three held in honour killing case

LUCKNOW: Malihabad police on Wednesday claimed to have cracked the case of honour killing of a couple with the arrest of three brothers of the slain woman. The woman’s husband Manjesh, who is still run on the run, is said to be the mastermind behind the murder. Suraj and Saroj were found murdered on July 27 in the fields. The three arrested accused Dinesh, Shivkumar and Hinna told police that three other men including Manjesh were involved in the murders, and are on the run.
SSP Rajesh Pandey said, “Suraj and Saroj were in a relationship well before the latter got married to Manjesh two and a half years ago. On July 16, Saroj eloped with Suraj, leaving behind her eight-month-old child with her husband. Manjesh, who saw this as a major social embarrassment, allegedly pressured Saroj’s brothers to join his plan to kill her.”
On July 24, Manjesh came to know that Saroj and Suraj were living together in Lucknow. Saroj had eloped with Suraj before her marriage too, and this had irked her brothers no end. Dinesh, her elder brother said, “I was hesitant in killing my sister, but her husband Manjesh was badly hurt and wanted to eliminate both of them. We nabbed Suraj and Saroj from their hideout, took them to a secluded field, and strangulated them.”