Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh: A 35-year-old man, Sonu, was allegedly drugged and strangled to death by his wife and mother-in-law in Jivana Guliyan village, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday evening. The two accused, Sonia and Saroj, were arrested on Tuesday following an investigation into the death, which was initially reported on Sunday morning by Sonu's brother.

According to Binouli police station in-charge Rakesh Kumar Sharma, a case was registered against seven people based on the brother's complaint, which prompted the investigation. The probe revealed a long-standing property dispute between Sonu and his mother-in-law, Saroj.

During interrogation, Sonia and Saroj confessed to the crime. Sonia told police that her mother, who lived with her and her husband, had purchased a plot of land for ₹3 lakh some time ago, which is now valued at approximately ₹30 lakh. Sonu had been pressuring Saroj to transfer the property into his name.

Sonia further claimed that Sonu had secretly filmed Saroj while she was bathing and was using the video to blackmail her. He threatened to make the video public if she did not transfer the property to him. Distraught by the blackmail, Sonia and Saroj conspired to murder Sonu.

On Saturday evening, they allegedly mixed sleeping pills into Sonu's milk. Once he was deeply asleep, they strangled him with a rope. The pair then attempted to stage the scene to look like a suicide by hanging, even breaking his mobile phone in the process.

The police investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.