Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur

Jaipur, Jul 9: A 23-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to murder her mother to gain control of the family's property and secure a government job, police said. Investigators alleged that the accused, Ayushi Sharma, hatched the plan with her uncle and cousin, hired contract killers for Rs 7 lakh and staged the killing to resemble a road accident.

The victim, 45-year-old Neeraj Sharma, who was working as a lower division clerk (LDC) in a court, was killed on July 3 in Jaipur's Pratap Nagar area.

Police have arrested seven people in connection with the case, including Ayushi Sharma, her uncle Mohan Swaroop, Mohit Sharma, Akash Sharma, Arvind Sharma, Hemant Sharma and Rohit Jatav. Ayushi's cousin, Balram alias Ravi, identified by investigators as a key conspirator, is absconding.

According to police, Neeraj Sharma was returning home after dropping her son at a coaching centre when a Scorpio SUV travelling at around 130 kmph rammed into her. The impact reportedly threw her body nearly 100 feet into the air, killing her on the spot. The driver fled immediately after the incident.

Initially treated as a road accident, the case took a dramatic turn after investigators examined CCTV footage from the area. Police said the footage indicated that the collision was deliberate, leading to the discovery of an alleged murder conspiracy involving family members and hired assailants.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ranjita Sharma said Neeraj's husband had died about a year ago. Following his death, she received a compassionate appointment and joined service as a lower division clerk.

According to investigators, Ayushi wanted the government job that became available after her father's death. However, her mother accepted the appointment. Police also said the mother and daughter had been involved in a property dispute for the past two to three years.

Police alleged that Ayushi, along with her uncle Mohan Swaroop and cousin Balram alias Ravi, conspired to eliminate Neeraj. The trio allegedly hired Bharatpur resident Hemant Sharma for Rs 7 lakh to execute the murder.

Investigators said the accused initially monitored Neeraj's movements using a rented Thar SUV, but the first attempt failed. They allegedly continued tracking her routine for nearly a month before carrying out the fatal attack using a Scorpio SUV.

On the day of the murder, police said Mohit Sharma allegedly relayed Neeraj's location to the attackers, while Rohit Jatav waited nearby on a motorcycle. Akash Sharma allegedly drove the Scorpio, with Arvind Sharma accompanying him when the vehicle struck Neeraj. After the incident, the accused reportedly abandoned the SUV and escaped on the motorcycle.

The complaint was lodged by Neeraj's brother, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, who told police that his sister had repeatedly complained of harassment by her daughter and members of her in-laws' family over property-related disputes. He also alleged that she had received several threats to her life.

During interrogation, Ayushi allegedly admitted that she wanted the compassionate government job that became available after her father's death but was upset because her mother had accepted the appointment. Police alleged that she subsequently conspired to kill her mother to gain control of both the job and the family's property.

The investigation is continuing, while police are searching for the absconding accused.