But CCTV footage, call records, deleted messages and the involvement of Minocha’s former employee gradually led investigators towards people known to the family.
CCTV FOOTAGE LEADS POLICE TO EX-STAFFThe CCTV footage provided police with their first major breakthrough.
According to the CCTV footage, Vishal had a duplicate key to the flat and used it to enter the house along with his associate Raj Kishore.
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW CONTACTED ACCUSED 309 TIMESThe investigation subsequently moved from CCTV footage to digital evidence.
Rs 6 LAKH CONTRACT TO KILL VINEETPolice are also probing a Rs 6 lakh contract for the murder between the ex-employee and daughter-in-law.
A Uttar Pradesh-based pharmaceutical businessman Vineet Minocha was murdered by having his throat slit inside his flat located in Kanpur’s upscale Indira Nagar area. The investigation took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, with police suspecting that surveillance within the family home may have been one of the motives behind the conspiracy to kill him.
Minocha’s daughter-in-law, Shalu, who was initially seen crying inconsolably after his death, has now been arrested for her involvement in the murder plot. According to police, Vineet had been keeping a close watch on Shalu's activities through CCTV cameras installed at the house.
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Investigators suspect that the surveillance, along with possible resentment over financial restrictions, may have contributed to the conspiracy against him. However, the allegations are yet to be established in court.
The case initially appeared to be a murder carried out by outsiders. But CCTV footage, call records, deleted messages and the involvement of Minocha’s former employee gradually led investigators towards people known to the family.
CCTV CAMERAS AT CENTRE OF INVESTIGATION
Investigators said that Vineet exercised considerable control over his son's and daughter-in-law's spending and closely monitored their activities. Police suspect that this created resentment within the family, which may have eventually contributed to the conspiracy to eliminate him.
The CCTV surveillance also became crucial after the murder. Footage from the apartment and surrounding areas showed two suspicious men moving towards the flat around the time Vineet's family had left for a party.
According to the police, Vineet's son Subrat, daughter-in-law Shalu and their six-year-old son left the house for a party at around 9.36 pm on Saturday.
Within minutes, two men were captured on CCTV heading towards the flat. Police suspect the two entered the house and hid inside, waiting for Vineet to return.
Vineet came home at around 10.58 pm. Investigators said that the attackers had already been inside the flat for around an hour and 15 minutes.
The initial plan, according to police, was to suffocate Vineet with a pillow while he slept and make the death appear natural. But the plan changed when Vineet walked towards the children's room and came face-to-face with the attackers.
He was then attacked with knives, suffering injuries to his neck and chest.
CCTV FOOTAGE LEADS POLICE TO EX-STAFF
The CCTV footage provided police with their first major breakthrough. One of the suspects was identified as Vishal Gautam, a former employee who had worked at Vineet's residence.
According to police, Vishal had worked at the house for around 12-13 years. His familiarity with the family and the layout of the residence is now being examined as part of the investigation.
According to the CCTV footage, Vishal had a duplicate key to the flat and used it to enter the house along with his associate Raj Kishore. The alleged use of the duplicate key has strengthened the police theory that the entry was planned rather than accidental.
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The biggest twist came during the questioning of Vishal and Raj Kishore. According to DCP West Qasim Abidi, the two accused told police that Vineet's daughter-in-law had lured them with money and got the murder carried out. Shalu was subsequently arrested in connection with the case.
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW CONTACTED ACCUSED 309 TIMES
The investigation subsequently moved from CCTV footage to digital evidence. Police have found that Shalu and Vishal were in contact around 309 times from May 1 until the day of the murder. The communication reportedly included phone calls as well as WhatsApp calls.
Investigators are now examining these contacts to establish when the murder plan was discussed and how the accused allegedly coordinated before the crime.
Adding another layer to the investigation, police have found 49 deleted messages exchanged between Shalu and Vishal. Investigators are attempting to recover the deleted chats through technical analysis, suspecting they could contain details about the murder plot.
Rs 6 LAKH CONTRACT TO KILL VINEET
Police are also probing a Rs 6 lakh contract for the murder between the ex-employee and daughter-in-law. According to the investigation, Rs 2 lakh was supposed to be paid after the murder, while the remaining Rs 4 lakh was to be paid around 15 days later.
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The fact that valuables and cash were not reported missing from the house led investigators to look for possible family tensions as the motive.
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