Kanpur: In a shocking case of greed and betrayal, a 47-year-old widow has been arrested in Kanpur Dehat for allegedly plotting the murder of her 22-year-old son, Pradeep Sharma, to claim ₹40 lakh from insurance policies. Mamta Devi, the mother, allegedly conspired with her lover, Mayank Katiyar (33), and his brother, Rishi Katiyar (28), to carry out the heinous crime.

The incident occurred in Angadpur village, within the Baraur police station area, on the night of October 26-27. According to police reports, Mamta had taken out four insurance policies in Pradeep's name and sought the help of her lover and his brother to eliminate him in order to receive the insurance money. Pradeep, who worked in Andhra Pradesh, had returned to his village for Diwali celebrations.

The police investigation revealed that Mayank and Rishi called Pradeep home and murdered him by hitting him on the head with a hammer. The accused then dumped the body on the side of the highway to make it appear like a road accident. However, the post-mortem report revealed a fractured skull and deep wounds, clearly indicating a homicide.

Following a complaint filed on October 27, police arrested Mayank on October 28 based on a tip-off. Mayank's interrogation led to the arrest of his brother, Rishi, a known gangster, after a brief encounter. Pradeep's mother, Mamta Devi, was apprehended on Thursday. During interrogation, both brothers confessed to the crime, which led to Mamta's arrest.

Superintendent of Police Shraddha Narendra Pandey stated that the trio had plotted the murder to claim the insurance money. Police have recovered the hammer and pistol used in the murder, as well as the car used to dump the body. Authorities are continuing to investigate the case. The arrest of the accused shortly after the murder prevented them from claiming Pradeep's insurance.