A woman accused of masterminding the murder of her 63-year-old father-in-law was allegedly dancing with her husband at a Kanpur lounge while the killing was taking place at their home. Police claim she remained in contact with the alleged attackers and may have guided them during the crime.
A video of Shalu Minocha dancing at a lounge on the night her father-in-law, Vineet Minocha, was murdered surfaced on social media on Wednesday and quickly went viral. Police said the footage, recorded by lounge staff, confirms that Shalu and her husband, Subrat, were at Cosmozin Lounge in Tilak Nagar that night.
Investigators, however, allege that Shalu remained in contact with the men she had allegedly hired to kill Vineet through WhatsApp calls, messages and voice calls, even while she was at the party.
Although the lounge’s CCTV DVR had no stored footage, videos recorded by the staff showed around 20 to 25 people, mostly couples, dancing to Bollywood songs. Shalu was seen wearing a dark purple gown, while Subrat was dressed in a grey shirt.
In one of the videos, the couple can be seen dancing to the song “Tum To Dhokhebaaz Ho, Vaada Karke Bhool Jaate Ho”. Police said Shalu displayed no apparent signs of distress, while other guests appeared unaware of what was allegedly happening at her home.
CCTV dispute allegedly triggered murder plot
Police arrested Shalu on Monday, alleging that she planned the murder after a former employee of Vineet’s pharmaceutical store claimed she had offered him Rs 6 lakh to carry out the killing.
Investigators suspect the alleged murder stemmed from a dispute over CCTV cameras Vineet had installed inside the family apartment around 15 to 20 days before his death. Police said Shalu objected to the cameras, claiming they invaded her privacy and caused her emotional distress.
According to police, Shalu approached Vishal Gautam, a former employee at Vineet’s pharmaceutical store, and allegedly handed him the original key to the family’s apartment so that a duplicate could be made.
Vishal allegedly recruited his unemployed acquaintance, 30-year-old Raj Kishor, promising him an advance payment of Rs 30,000.
Police said that on September 5, Shalu informed the two men that she, her husband and their son would be attending a party. She allegedly helped them enter Ratan Orbit Apartment in Kalyanpur despite initial resistance from the security guard.
The two men allegedly told the guard that they were delivering medicines, with Vishal signing in under the fictitious name “Shivam”.
Murder was allegedly meant to look like heart attack
Investigators said Vishal and Raj hid inside a bedroom after entering the apartment with the duplicate key. Police allege that Shalu had instructed them to suffocate Vineet with a pillow so that his death would appear to be a heart attack.
The plan allegedly went awry when Vineet entered the bedroom around 11pm and noticed something suspicious. DCP West SM Qasim Abidi said the two men panicked and allegedly attacked him with knives before escaping by jumping over the rear wall.
A post-mortem examination later revealed 26 stab wounds on Vineet’s body.
Police said the murder took place sometime between 10.30pm on Saturday and 3am on Sunday, when Vineet was alone in the four-room apartment. Shalu and Subrat reportedly returned from the party and discovered his bloodied body before informing the police.
Nothing stolen from apartment
Investigators said CCTV footage showed Vishal and Raj leaving the apartment after the killing. The two were arrested following an encounter late Sunday.
After receiving medical treatment, Vishal allegedly told police that he had killed Vineet on Shalu’s instructions in exchange for money.
Police said nothing was stolen from the apartment, strengthening their suspicion that the murder was driven by personal animosity rather than robbery. Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to criminal conspiracy, has also been added to the case.
Police further said Shalu allegedly admitted her involvement in the presence of female police personnel after being confronted with statements made by Vishal.
The investigation remains underway, with police examining the alleged communications between Shalu and the suspected assailants, along with the circumstances surrounding Vineet’s murder.
