Varanasi: Police on Monday claimed to have arrested a co-accused in the murder of a 22-year-old MSc student after an encounter near Jakhini. The accused sustained a bullet injury in his leg and was taken to hospital. Police said he had helped the main accused murder the student, whose decomposed body was recovered from the waterlogged washroom of a rented room in the Rohania area on Aug 20.The arrested accused was identified as Puneet Mishra, a resident of Mau. Police said he assisted main accused Vivek Choubey in the crime.DCP Gomti and DCP Crime Neetu Kadyan said a murder case was registered on a complaint by the victim’s family, naming Choubey as accused. Four police teams were formed to investigate the case.Police examined CCTV footage and found another man moving with the victim and Choubey. A clip from Aug 18 showed a man on the terrace around 9.45 pm. Later, Choubey and the victim entered the house. Choubey came out about 18 minutes later, while the other man was also seen leaving. Choubey left on a motorcycle and the second man in a cab.Police traced the cab driver, who provided the suspect’s mobile number. Call records and cab-booking details helped identify him as Mishra. Police said his call records showed frequent contact with Choubey, while IPDR analysis allegedly confirmed his presence at the crime scene and later at his maternal uncle’s house in Chunar.Police later received information that Mishra had been seen near Jamuni Tiraha in Jakhini. During checking on the Ramaipur-Rampur road, police spotted him on a motorcycle with an associate. When asked to stop, the associate allegedly opened fire and escaped. Police said Mishra was injured in retaliatory firing in self-defence. A .315-bore firearm, live cartridges and empty shells were recovered from him.After receiving primary treatment, Mishra allegedly confessed to his role. Police said he told investigators that Choubey, his long-time friend, had promised him Rs 22 lakh for helping murder the victim and that they carried out the killing together.Police said Mishra is being sent for remand, while multiple teams are conducting raids to arrest Choubey.The victim had left home for college on Aug 18 but did not return. Her mobile location led investigators to Bachhaon in Rohania, where Choubey lived in a rented room and was known to her.Family members said they traced Choubey’s relatives and found a bag containing the key to his rented accommodation. When they opened the room, a foul smell came from inside. The victim’s decomposed body was found in the bathroom.The victim’s father has alleged that Choubey wanted to marry her because she was expected to inherit family property and killed her after she refused.Postmortem findings suggest the victim died due to excessive bleeding. Injury marks caused by a sharp-edged weapon were also reportedly found on her body, and samples have been sent for forensic examination.
