Bhopal killer murdered live-in partner to hide previous crimes

Bhopal resident Udayan Das who allegedly killed his parents and live-in partner, confessed during questioning that he murdered the girl when she came to know about his previous crimes, the police said on Tuesday.

Das allegedly made false claims of living and working in the US to his partner, Bankura resident Akansha Sharma, and also made fake promises to get her a job abroad, a police officer said.

"Das confessed he had to kill Akansha as she came across the passports of Das' parents and his mother's death certificate and understood he murdered both of them," Bankura Police Superintendent Sukhendu Hira told a media conference.

"She wanted to leave Das after finding out that he has no connections in the US and cannot help her get a job in the Unicef which he previously promised," he said.

The police claim Das killed his parents to get his hands into their property and also to stop them from pestering him to get a job.

"He killed his parents to take away their property and lead a lavish lifestyle. He made use of the money by making foreign trips and paying for escort services both in the country and abroad. He even went to Singapore and Bangkok, especially for availing escort services," the officer said.

"Das said his parents forced him to study science against his will and often pestered him to get a job after he dropped out of an Engineering course. According to him, he killed his parents on July 27, 2010, and later buried them in their residence in Raipur," he said.

The police said Das, who would be presented before the district court on February 15, wants to give in-camera statement to the judicial magistrate.

"We will present him in court tomorrow (February 15) and appeal to the judge to record his confession (under IPC section 164) as he has expressed a desire to give in-camera statement. He would then be taken away by Raipur police on transit remand for further investigation into his parent's murder," the officer added.

Das was brought to West Bengal from Bhopal on transit remand by the Bankura police and remanded in police custody for eight days by the Bankura district court on February 7.

He was arrested on February 2 by the West Bengal Police on charges of murdering his live-in partner and entombing her body in a concrete block inside his house in Saketnagar in Bhopal.

Later, he also confessed to his parents' murder.

--IANS

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