By Vivek Shukla
Few days back a strange case hit the media headlines. A woman Jyoti Maurya, after becoming sub divisional magistrate (SDM) in Uttar Pradesh left her husband, who had funded her higher studies and preparation for Provincial Civil Services (PCS) exam.
In a similar but more horrifying case in Bharatpur (Rajasthan), a woman after becoming a constable, with the help of her lover, went to the extent of killing her husband, who had supported and funded her studies and coaching for the constable job.
Poonam, a constable with CRPF posted in New Delhi, got married with Sanjay in 2010 in Bharatpur. At that time Poonam was less educated. Sanjay, a small time farmer, wanted her wife to study and take up a government job. So he encouraged her and funded her studies. After completing XII, Poonam took preparatory classes for central police organization (CPO) constable recruitment test, which she passed and joined CRPF. During that period the couple had two children also.
Constable Poonam with her husband Sanjay and lover Ram Pratap Gurjar
Love affair
After joining CRPF, Poonam was posted to Kashmir where she met Ram Pratap Gurjar, who was also from Rajasthan. They both came close each other and started having an affair. Even when Poonam would come on holidays to Sanjya and her family, she would talk to Ram Pratap on phone. Sanjay came to know about their affairs and asked her to cut off relationship with Pratap. But she continued with her affair.
The Murder Plot
Poonam asked Sanjay to come to stay for some time at her posting place in Delhi. When Sanjay came, she took him in a car in which her lover Ram Pratap was sitting. Both Poonam and Ram Pratap got hold of Sanjay and strangulated him with chunni. When Sanjay died, Ram Pratap took his body and disposed off near his village in Bansur in Alwar district, 200 kms from New Delhi. He drove the car with body in body lying in the boot space. He wore CRPF uniform to avoid any checking on highway.
How they got arrested
Sanjay had left for New Delhi on July 31. When there was no communication of Sanjay with his father Maniram for two-three days, he called up Poonam asking whereabouts of Sanjay. Poonam denied visit of Sanjay. When Maniram and his family started searching for Sanjay, she refused to help them out on pretext of not getting leave from her job. Maniram then went to New Delhi to Poonam's house and asked her go with him. But Poonam was not ready to accompany Maniram which raised suspicion and Maniram filed a missing complaint with the police. When police strictly enquired about Sanjay from Poonam and corroborated findings with her call details, Poonam broke down and accepted her crime. Police arrested Ram Pratap also and recovered the half decayed body.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.