- Son Subrata confessed to father Vineet Minocha's murder in Kanpur.
- Motive: Property division fears, father's 'bad character,' financial debt.
- Conspiracy involved servant Vishal; initial attempt to frame daughter-in-law.
The investigation into the murder of pharmaceutical dealer Vineet Minocha in Kanpur took a major turn after his son Subrata allegedly confessed to killing his father during police interrogation. Police said Subrata admitted that he had handed over the house keys to the accused Vishal and was part of the conspiracy behind the murder.
As per the investigation, Subrata wanted to kill his father because of his ‘bad character’. He had reportedly told officials that he feared that his father’s property could be divided if a woman in his life became pregnant.
Vineet Minocha, 60, was found murdered at his Ratan Orbit apartment in Kalyanpur on September 5. Initially, police suspected his daughter-in-law Shalu’s involvement after alleged contract killer Vishal claimed that she had given him a Rs 6 lakh contract to kill Vineet.
According to police, Vishal initially claimed that Shalu had given him a contract to kill her father-in-law for Rs 6 lakh. This led investigators to suspect Shalu’s involvement in the murder.
However, during his custody remand on Wednesday, Vishal’s statement allegedly changed the direction of the investigation. Police said Vishal revealed that Subrata had hired him to kill Vineet and had asked him to shift the blame on Shalu if the crime came to light.
Subrata Allegedly Planned Murder Three Months Ago
According to police, Subrata later confessed that he had been planning his father’s murder for nearly three months along with his servant Vishal.
Police said Subrata had a debt of around Rs 40-50 lakh, with a monthly instalment of nearly Rs 55,000. Investigators suspect financial pressure may have been one of the reasons behind the alleged conspiracy.
Police further claimed that Subrata told them he feared that his father’s property could be divided if a woman in his life became pregnant. He allegedly said that his father’s “bad character” was also a reason behind his decision.
As part of the plan, Subrata allegedly arranged a duplicate key to the flat through a shop. He reportedly kept the duplicate key with himself and handed over the original key to Vishal before the murder so he could enter the house.
New SIM, First Call To Subrat
Investigators have also found that Vishal allegedly obtained a new SIM card just days before the murder. According to police, the first call made from the new number was to Subrat.
The police have found over 258 calls between Subrat and the main accused, Vishal, while examining CCTV, financial liabilities and the suspects’ movements to establish their alleged roles in the conspiracy.
Plan Was To Frame Businessman’s Brother
According to police, Subrata had allegedly planned to initially blame his father’s brother for the murder and portray it as a conspiracy against Vineet.
However, investigators said the plan failed after Vishal’s statement revealed Subrata’s alleged role in the crime.
Shalu Told Police To Let Subrata Go
During her custody remand, Shalu reportedly told police, “Sir, I’m going to jail. Let Subrata go.”
Police said their investigation so far has not found evidence against Shalu, and a closure report may be submitted before the court.
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Police Prepared 200 Questions For Interrogation
A six-member police team, including Kalyanpur station in-charge Keshav Kumar Tiwari and a discreet officer, prepared around 200 questions for questioning the accused.
The questions focused on their contacts before the murder, mobile locations, conversations, financial transactions, movements to and from the flat, and activities after the incident.
Police are also examining call records, digital evidence and money transactions to verify the statements of all accused.