Jharkhand man strangled, body dumped in bushes; wife, mother-in-law among 4 held

Police arrested Rohit Kumar's wife and three others over his killing in Ramgarh. The case centres on a domestic dispute, an alleged confession and attempts to conceal the body.Police have arrested all four accused in connection with the case. (Representative Image)Ramgarh, Jharkhand,Oct 24, 2026 08:04 ISTFour people, including a woman, have been arrested for the murder of her husband in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, police said on Friday. The accused include the victim’s wife, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and a man known to the wife.The victim, identified as Rohit Kumar, 38, was found dead near the Pararu Nala bridge in the Argadda area under the Kuju police station limits on Wednesday. His body was recovered from bushes along the roadside, where it had been dumped to conceal the crime, police said.Following the discovery, Rohit’s brother, Karan Kumar, lodged a murder complaint against unidentified persons at the Kuju police station.Ramgarh Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Lunayat formed a special investigation team (SIT) under the leadership of Sub-Divisional Police Officer Alok Ranjan to investigate the case. WIFE CONFESSES DURING POLICE QUESTIONINGDuring the investigation, police detained Rohit’s wife, Anju Devi, for questioning. According to the police, she confessed to her involvement in the murder and named three other people who had participated in the crime.The other accused were identified as Sundari Devi, 51, Anju’s mother; Dineshwar Prajapati, 28, her brother; and Mohammad Shaukat Ansari, 35, an acquaintance of Anju. Police said Rohit and Anju frequently quarrelled over domestic issues, including disputes concerning her conduct. The couple had another argument a day before the murder, and the disagreement escalated, according to the police investigation.BODY DUMPED TO CONCEAL CRIMEAddressing a press conference on Friday evening, SDPO Alok Ranjan said Anju, her mother and her brother were involved in Rohit’s murder following the dispute.After the killing, the accused attempted to conceal the crime by disposing of the body near Pararu Nala, police said. Shaukat Ansari used his vehicle to transport the body and dump it in bushes along the roadside to prevent the crime from being detected.Police have arrested all four accused in connection with the case.Investigators have also seized a bloodstained wooden plank believed to have been used in the assault and a dupatta reportedly used to strangle the victim.These items have been taken into police custody as part of the investigation.The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder and the roles of the four accused. Further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.- EndsWith inputs from Rajesh Verma