Meerut school owner murdered; wife, three held in snakebite plot

Police in Meerut, India, have arrested a woman and three others, including two snake charmers, in connection with the alleged murder of her 32-year-old husband, a school operator. The victim, Atul Kumar Panwar, was found dead at his rented home in Hastinapur on Friday morning. Authorities believe his wife, Damini, conspired with her alleged lover, Tushar, a bus driver at Panwar's school, to kill him. The plot involved staging the death to look like a snakebite. Investigators stated that Panwar was allegedly given milk laced with sleeping pills before a krait snake, described as highly venomous, was used to bite him while he slept. Tushar, a resident of Mawana, reportedly joined Panwar's Krishna Kids Play School as a bus driver around three months ago, coinciding with the school's establishment. The two snake charmers, Sonu and Uday Kumar, both residents of Hastinapur, were arrested for allegedly assisting in the murder. Panwar, originally from Bhandora village, and Damini, from J-Block, married in 2019 and had a six-year-old son. They had been living in a rented house in J-Block Colony for the past four months. Initially, Damini informed locals that her husband had died from a snakebite, and a snake found on the bed was killed at the scene. Snakebite marks were observed on Panwar's hand and leg, leading to an initial assumption of accidental death. However, Panwar's father accused his daughter-in-law of murder. Based on these allegations, police launched an investigation. During the probe, officers discovered Tushar's employment at the school and his alleged extramarital relationship with Damini. Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey stated that the investigation concluded the death was a premeditated murder, not a natural snakebite incident.

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Atul was first given milk laced with sleeping pills before a snake was used to bite him while he was asleep, causing his death.