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UP Woman Had Affairs With Dead Husband's Father & Brother, Then Killed Mother-In-Law For Land
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Pooja Jatav, 29, from Jhansi, is under investigation for her mother-in-law Sushila Devi's murder, involving land disputes, multiple marriages, and betrayal
In a case that shook the Jhansi police, a 29-year-old woman named Pooja Jatav is now at the centre of a sensational murder investigation involving the killing of her mother-in-law. But what appeared to be a dispute over family land quickly unravelled into a disturbing story of multiple marriages, shifting relationships, betrayal, and cold-blooded crime.
The incident took place on June 24, when 60-year-old Sushila Devi, a resident of Jhansi's Tahrauli area, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Initially treated as a possible robbery, the case took a dark turn when Sushila's daughter-in-law, Pooja Jatav, went missing after the murder. Her sudden disappearance raised suspicions, and police began to dig deeper.
Plot Behind The Murder
Pooja Jatav allegedly wanted to sell 18 bighas of an ancestral land belonging to her in-laws in Jhansi and settle in Gwalior permanently. The land legally belonged to her deceased husband Kalyan and was currently under family control. While other family members, including her brother-in-law Santosh and father-in-law, were reportedly willing to give her a share, Sushila Devi strongly opposed the sale. She distrusted Pooja and refused to sign off the property, fearing the daughter-in-law's increasing demands and questionable intentions.
Faced with the obstacle, Pooja allegedly hatched a sinister plan to eliminate her mother-in-law and take control of the land. She enlisted the help of her younger sister Kamala alias Kamini, and Kamini's boyfriend Anil Verma, a resident of Hajira in Gwalior.
On the night of June 24, Kamini and Anil travelled 125 km to Jhansi, waited for the house to be empty, and as per the plan, injected Sushila Devi with poison before strangling her to death. The duo then looted gold jewellery worth Rs 8 lakh and fled the scene.
The case began to crack when Pooja failed to return home after the funeral. Her absence, coupled with inconsistencies in her statements and mobile tower data, prompted police to bring her in for questioning. Under sustained interrogation, she eventually confessed to masterminding the murder, admitting that she lured Kamini and Anil into the conspiracy.
Following her confession, Pooja and Kamini were arrested and sent to jail. Meanwhile, Anil Verma was traced and apprehended after a police encounter on Tuesday night, bringing the core trio of accused into custody.
But as police delved deeper into Pooja's past, the case became even more unsettling.
Pooja Jatav's Disturbing History
The police were shocked to uncover a trail of multiple marriages, live-in relationships, and possible criminal acts spanning both Gwalior and Jhansi.
Pooja was first married in Gwalior. That marriage ended bitterly after a violent domestic dispute. According to reports, her first husband once had her shot during a conflict, a case that dragged into court. It was during the court hearings that Pooja met Kalyan, a man who took sympathy on her, believing she was a victim of abuse. Their friendship turned romantic, and Kalyan married her, unaware of what lay ahead.
Kalyan died six years later in a road accident. With her second husband gone, Pooja became alone and got involved with her late husband's elder brother, Santosh, who was already married. Despite this, she moved into the house and began living in a live-in relationship with him, claiming marital rights and sparking domestic chaos.
Tensions escalated when Santosh's first wife began to protest, leading to frequent fights within the household. It was during this time that Pooja began pressuring the family for a 50% share in the ancestral land, arguing that she was Kalyan's legal widow and deserved his portion. Santosh and his father were reportedly ready to settle, but Sushila Devi stood firm in opposition.
Police sources also hint at a rumoured inappropriate relationship between Pooja and her father-in-law, further adding to the family's disintegration. Sushila's growing suspicions and refusal to allow Pooja to claim the land may have ultimately sealed her fate.
After being sidelined by Santosh and feeling increasingly isolated, Pooja became desperate to secure her financial future. With the property slipping out of her control and her support within the family eroding, she saw murder as the only path left.
She called her sister Kamini and boyfriend Anil to help execute the murder. The plan was precise and after the act, Kamini and Anil vanished with valuables, hoping it would pass off as a burglary gone wrong.
Four days after the murder, Sushila Devi's husband filed an FIR at Tahrauli Police Station, sparking a full investigation. The local police quickly zeroed in on inconsistencies in Pooja's behaviour and location records. Once the plot was confirmed, she was arrested and the network of lies began to fall apart.
Pooja and Kamini are now behind bars, while Anil Verma was injured and arrested in a late-night encounter operation by the police on Tuesday, July 1. All three now face charges of murder, conspiracy, and robbery, among others.
The Jhansi case has become the talk of the town, not just for the brutality of the murder but for the calculated manipulation, greed, and repeated deceit behind it. The police are continuing to investigate Pooja's history to determine if other cases, including the suspicious death of her husband Kalyan, may also be connected.
First Published:
July 02, 2025, 15:07 IST
