Muzaffarnagar – A Special Court under the SC/ST Act in Muzaffarnagar has handed down life imprisonment to a woman and her husband for the murder of 22‑year‑old Ankit in the Jasola hamlet of Khatoli. The presiding judge, Dr. Vijay Kumar, also ordered a penalty of ₹ 50,000 on each convict. Both defendants appeared via video‑conference from the district jail.
The prosecution traced the tragedy to 7 January 2024, when Ankit visited Meenakshi’s residence accompanied by a fellow villager. Ankit and Meenakshi were reportedly in a romantic relationship. Upon learning of his son’s whereabouts, Ankit’s father Ranveer Singh and brother Lavkush rushed to the house. When the door remained shut, they alerted the police.
Police entered the dwelling and discovered Ankit lying unconscious, bearing contusions on his forehead, hands and legs. Subsequent investigation indicated that he had been beaten with sticks, leading to his death.
Meenakshi and her husband Sonu were taken into custody on 10 January 2024. After the investigation, a charge‑sheet was filed and presented before the court. The prosecution called seven witnesses, including Ankit’s father and brother, to testify.
Assistant District Government Counsel Ashish Kumar Tyagi highlighted that the post‑mortem report recorded eighteen distinct injuries on Ankit’s body. Evidence recovered from Meenakshi’s home included a damaged mobile phone identified by the victim’s father, a blood‑stained quilt, three strands of hair, two shirt buttons, two scarves, a cotton cord and four sticks allegedly used in the assault.
The investigation was led by Circle Officers Dr. Ravishankar and Yatendra Nagar of Khatoli.
The court convicted both accused on a Friday and delivered the sentence on the following Wednesday, nearly 997 days after the incident.
According to the prosecution, Sonu worked as a truck driver and was often away from home. Ankit had originally been summoned to treat Sonu’s ailing dog, during which he and Meenakshi began communicating. The prosecution argued that Meenakshi feared her husband would abandon her if he discovered the affair, providing a motive for the homicide.
