Nagpur: In a convoluted tale of marital discord, a couple lured a 35-year-old man into a trap and allegedly stabbed him to death on the road linking Koradi power plant to Khaparkheda, before heading to Koradi police station to surrender on Thursday. Police identified the accused as Rajesh Gajbhiye, 37, and his 34-year-old wife, who a few months ago had complained of domestic violence.On Thursday, the same woman conspired with her husband, Rajesh, to ambush her cousin, Sagar Wankhade, in a desolate area and dealt the first blow on him with a knife. Then her husband, who was waiting in the shadows, joined in and delivered the fatal blows, said police.
Wankhede, a driver by profession, was earlier involved in an objectionable friendship with the woman but discontinued the affair after her marriage in 2011. They reconnected through Facebook again in 2022. The cousins moved to Pune and lived together for a few months, before the woman wriggled out of the relationship due to physical assaults by Wankhede under the influence of liquor.Wankhede, however, did not relent. He frequently showed up at their residence, created disturbances, and issued threats to forcibly take away the woman to resume their friendship.On Wednesday, Sagar messaged her, urging her to go with him to Pune, which reportedly became the final trigger for murder. Police said, the woman lured Wankhede to their house on the pretext of meeting him. She earlier sent her husband away as part of the plan. Concealing a knife, she accompanied Wankhede on his bike to the isolated thermal power plant area, where Rajesh was already waiting in ambush. Rajesh went to leave their children at school and on the way back, he waited for her signal.On reaching the spot, the woman allegedly dropped her bag, urging Wankhede to stop the bike. She initiated the attack by stabbing Wankhede and then handed over the knife to her husband, who stabbed him multiple times till he collapsed and bled to death.The couple reportedly planned to either commit suicide or surrender to the police immediately after the murder. Eyewitnesses at the scene noted the registration number of the bike and informed the cops.Police quickly traced the vehicle to Rajesh Gajbhiye. While searching for the couple, officers intercepted them on their way to Koradi police station. The duo was arrested on the spot, and a case of murder was registered. Investigations are underway to establish the sequence of events, including the extent of harassment, the premeditated nature of the crime, and the couple’s stated intent to end their lives or surrender following the killing.
