UP Police constable, wife arrested for double murder

A police constable in Uttar Pradesh, along with his wife and two relatives, has been arrested for the murders of two young men in the Kakori area. The crime happened on Friday night and was reportedly motivated by a past love affair involving the constable's wife. The police identified the suspects as constable Mahendra Kumar, 28, and his wife Ankita, 24, who is also known as Deepika. They were apprehended on Sunday after police investigated the case, which revealed that the constable plotted the murders to take revenge on his wife's former lover. A knife believed to have been used in the killings was recovered along with two mobile phones. The victims, 25-year-old Manoj Lodhi and 26-year-old Rohit Lodhi, were killed by having their throats slashed. Their families protested, demanding that the police act quickly. Following the protests, authorities launched a manhunt and located the suspects based on evidence from surveillance footage. The investigation revealed that Mahendra learned of his wife's romantic past with Manoj. Even though Ankita chose to stay with Mahendra after admitting her feelings, the couple planned to kill Manoj together. In February, they began preparations for the crime. On the night of March 21, Mahendra called his wife and indicated he was returning from duty to end the matter with Manoj. Ankita arranged to meet Manoj near a culvert under the pretense of a meeting. Once there, Mahendra and his relatives ambushed Manoj with knives. When Rohit tried to help, he was also attacked and killed. Mahendra travelled back from Lakhimpur to Lucknow after the incident. The police have added charges related to the possession of the murder weapon in addition to the murder charges. Three other suspects are still being searched for by authorities.