Five relatives blamed for woman's murder. Police say her son actually killed her
Bareilly murder case takes dramatic turn 26 months later after victim's son is arrested
A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his mother while she slept and attempting to frame five relatives with whom he had a longstanding dispute, police in India's Uttar Pradesh state said.
The arrest brings a dramatic turn to a murder investigation that remained unresolved for more than two years.
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Ram Beti was killed in Kuddha village in Bareilly district on August 6, 2024, after being struck on the head with a heavy object while sleeping outside a house. Local reporting puts her age at 55, while The Indian Express reports 60.
Police initially named five relatives in the complaint, and later added another person's name during the investigation.
But investigators failed to find evidence linking them to the killing.
Five accused cleared
Police subjected the initially accused men to polygraph tests and examined other evidence before they were cleared.
With the murder still unsolved, Bareilly police formed a Special Investigation Team led by Inspector Sanjay Dheer.
Investigators then began scrutinising statements and circumstances surrounding the victim's son, Mahendra Singh.
Police said evidence including the post-mortem findings, witness statements and the timeline of Ram Beti's final meal helped investigators reconstruct her movements on the night she died.
Local reports said investigators determined she had eaten at another son's home before Mahendra allegedly took her to a house outside the village where she slept outdoors.
Police said Mahendra was the only person present around the suspected time of the killing.
Investigators also discovered that different phone numbers used to notify police about the death were allegedly being operated by Mahendra, according to local reports.
Dispute over ration shop
Police allege Mahendra killed his mother because he wanted to implicate relatives with whom he had a longstanding dispute involving a ration shop.
The Indian Express reported that tensions had escalated after Mahendra believed the rival relatives had falsely implicated his nephew in an Arms Act case.
Police arrested Mahendra on September 30. He was produced before a court and sent to jail on October 1. Police say he admitted during questioning to killing his mother to implicate his rivals.
The allegations against him have not been proven in court.
