Three years after a Haryana businessman was shot dead, a WhatsApp message unearthed the murky murder plot by the victim's wife so that she could marry her gym trainer.
Vinod Barada was shot dead at his home in Panipat on December 15, 2021. The accused was Dev Sunar, a truck driver who was involved in an accident that had left Vinod seriously injured and he was arrested by police.
Sunar had told cops that he shot Barada dead because he refused an out-of-court settlement in the accident case.
Sunar was imprisoned in the Panipat jail and the case was under trial in the court.
However, Barada's brother from Australia recently sent a message via WhatsApp to district police chief Ajit Singh Shekhawat raising doubts that someone very close to Vinod could have masterminded the murder.
The official assigned Deepak Kumar of Haryana police's Criminal Investigation Agency to reinvestigate the case.
During investigation, they found that Dev Sunar was close to Sumit, a gym trainer who knew Vinod Barada's wife Nidhi well.
The probe also found that Sumit was paying for Sunar's legal defense and living expenses.
Police took Nidhi and Sumit into custody and when questioned, they admitted to having planned Vinod's accident and then having him shot.
Sumit was a trainer at a gym in 2021 when he first met Nidhi, and the two became friends. The two grew close and an affair began. Vinod reportedly learnt about their relationship and confronted Nidhi, which led to frequent arguments at home. Sumit also had face-offs with Sumit and asked him to stay away from his wife. As the altercations continued, Nidhi and Sumit allegedly plotted to kill Vinod, the investigation found.
According to the police, Sumit and Nidhi offered Rs 10 lakh to Dev Sunar for the murder. A loaded pickup truck was provided to Dev Sunar, who used it to attack Vinod in October 2021. As Vinod survived the accident, they came up with plan B to shoot him. Under the guise of seeking pardon, Dev Sunar was sent to Vinod's house after being bailed from custody and given an illicit weapon. Dev Sunar shot Vinod inside his residence on December 15, 2021.
The investigation also found that days after Vinod's murder, Sumit and Nidhi went on a Manali trip.
Nidhi and Sumit were arrested and last Saturday, they were produced in court and then placed under judicial custody.
