A 23-year-old woman has been arrested in Jaipur after police alleged that she conspired to have her widowed mother killed in order to inherit family property and secure a government job.
According to police, 45-year-old Neeraj Sharma died on July 3 after being hit by a speeding SUV in Jaipur’s Pratap Nagar area. Investigators believe the incident was not an accident but a planned murder. CCTV footage released by police reportedly shows the vehicle striking the victim before fleeing the scene.
So far, seven people have been arrested in connection with the case, including the victim’s daughter Ayushi, her paternal uncle Mohan Swaroop, alleged contract killer Hemant Sharma and four others. Police said another accused, identified as Balram, the victim’s nephew and Ayushi’s cousin, is currently absconding.
The investigation began after the victim’s brother filed a complaint alleging murder. According to police, Neeraj Sharma had previously told her family that she was being harassed over property-related disputes.
Police allege that the motive behind the crime was Ayushi’s desire to obtain a government job on compassionate grounds following the death of her father, who had worked as a lower division clerk in a court. After his death, the job was reportedly given to Neeraj Sharma instead.
Investigators claim Ayushi blamed her mother for preventing her from getting the government job and, along with other accused, allegedly planned the murder over several weeks. Police further allege that an earlier attempt had failed before the group hired a contract killer for ₹7 lakh to execute the plan.
According to investigators, the suspects monitored the victim’s movements for nearly a month before carrying out the alleged attack using a rented SUV. The vehicle believed to have been used in the crime has been seized.
Police said the investigation is continuing, and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused.
