HOWRAH: The husband of slain Jharkhand actor-YouTuber Riya Kumari was arrested early Thursday and charged with murder, destruction of evidence, torture and criminal conspiracy, hours after he allegedly spun a story about his wife being shot and killed while accosting unidentified armed men who had tried to rob him at gunpoint on NH-16 near Kolkata.
Jaiprakash Kumar Rajni, alias Prakash Albela, was travelling to Kolkata from Ranchi by car with his 32-year-old wife and their 27-month-old daughter. The shooting took place at Bagnan in Howrah district.
Prakash allegedly kept changing his statements during interrogation, leading police to arrest him. Forensic evidence such as remnants of a bullet head, brain matter and an unusual amount of blood in the family’s hatchback apparently bolstered their suspicion that Riya’s husband was hiding something.
She was tortured for dowry: FIR
The brother of murdered Jharkhand actor-YouTuber Riya Kumari, Ajay Rana, reached Howrah and filed a complaint against her husband Prakash, the latter’s first wife Sharada and his two brothers Sandip and Akash Kumar. An Uluberia court remanded Prakash in police custody for 12 days.
While being taken to court, Prakash told reporters, “I cannot kill my wife. I have a daughter.”
On the way out, he said, “The panchayat ruled that I spend time alternately with my two wives (Riya was his second wife). There was a marital problem, but that was resolved. I have two sons from my earlier marriage. I didn’t kill Riya.”
The FIR, a copy of which is with TOI, quotes complainant Ajay as saying his sister used to be tortured and threatened by her husband for more dowry after their marriage a decade and a half ago.
Riya’s brother also told police that Prakash was in debt and owed around Rs 28-30 lakh. Riya had life insurance policies, fixed deposits and share certificates of Rs 20 lakh and around Rs 10 lakh in her bank account, he said.
Ajay alleged that a week ago, Prakash left the couple’s home in Ranchi’s Tiger Hill Apartment, only to return just before the Kolkata trip and apologise for his behaviour. He claimed Prakash lured Riya to Kolkata on the pretext of shopping and with murder on his mind.
Prakash attributed his marital discord to Riya’s allegedly flashy lifestyle, her male friends and late-night parties. He said the Kolkata trip was planned to try and resolve their differences. He insisted that three unidentified men shot his wife dead after he stopped their car around 5am to relieve himself.
Howrah SP Swati Bhangalia said, “Inconsistencies in Prakash’s statement, his attempts to change statements, traces of the bullet head, blood and even parts of brain found in the car and the specific FIR against him led to the arrest. The hunt for the gun is still on.” Forensic experts who examined Riya’s body for a second time at the Uluberia hospital morgue before it was handed over to her family members told police the single bullet – possibly fired from a 9mm revolver – that hit Riya near her right ear and exited perforating her temple indicated she was asleep when she was shot, police sources said. The spot where Prakash claimed he and Riya were accosted by robbers is under CCTV surveillance, but footage showed nothing resembling the incident early Wednesday.
Jaiprakash Kumar Rajni, alias Prakash Albela, was travelling to Kolkata from Ranchi by car with his 32-year-old wife and their 27-month-old daughter. The shooting took place at Bagnan in Howrah district.
Prakash allegedly kept changing his statements during interrogation, leading police to arrest him. Forensic evidence such as remnants of a bullet head, brain matter and an unusual amount of blood in the family’s hatchback apparently bolstered their suspicion that Riya’s husband was hiding something.
She was tortured for dowry: FIR
The brother of murdered Jharkhand actor-YouTuber Riya Kumari, Ajay Rana, reached Howrah and filed a complaint against her husband Prakash, the latter’s first wife Sharada and his two brothers Sandip and Akash Kumar. An Uluberia court remanded Prakash in police custody for 12 days.
While being taken to court, Prakash told reporters, “I cannot kill my wife. I have a daughter.”
On the way out, he said, “The panchayat ruled that I spend time alternately with my two wives (Riya was his second wife). There was a marital problem, but that was resolved. I have two sons from my earlier marriage. I didn’t kill Riya.”
The FIR, a copy of which is with TOI, quotes complainant Ajay as saying his sister used to be tortured and threatened by her husband for more dowry after their marriage a decade and a half ago.
Riya’s brother also told police that Prakash was in debt and owed around Rs 28-30 lakh. Riya had life insurance policies, fixed deposits and share certificates of Rs 20 lakh and around Rs 10 lakh in her bank account, he said.
Ajay alleged that a week ago, Prakash left the couple’s home in Ranchi’s Tiger Hill Apartment, only to return just before the Kolkata trip and apologise for his behaviour. He claimed Prakash lured Riya to Kolkata on the pretext of shopping and with murder on his mind.
Prakash attributed his marital discord to Riya’s allegedly flashy lifestyle, her male friends and late-night parties. He said the Kolkata trip was planned to try and resolve their differences. He insisted that three unidentified men shot his wife dead after he stopped their car around 5am to relieve himself.
Howrah SP Swati Bhangalia said, “Inconsistencies in Prakash’s statement, his attempts to change statements, traces of the bullet head, blood and even parts of brain found in the car and the specific FIR against him led to the arrest. The hunt for the gun is still on.” Forensic experts who examined Riya’s body for a second time at the Uluberia hospital morgue before it was handed over to her family members told police the single bullet – possibly fired from a 9mm revolver – that hit Riya near her right ear and exited perforating her temple indicated she was asleep when she was shot, police sources said. The spot where Prakash claimed he and Riya were accosted by robbers is under CCTV surveillance, but footage showed nothing resembling the incident early Wednesday.
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