Brother-in-law arrested in 32-year-old woman’s death:Claims jammed pistol fired suddenly; husband remains absconding from police

The investigation into the gunshot death of 32-year-old Jyoti alias Janhvi Kushwah in Gwalior’s Tripti Nagar has taken a dramatic turn. While her maternal family has alleged murder and accused the in-laws of foul play, her brother-in-law Yogesh has claimed that the shooting was accidental and occurred while he was handling a pistol in jest. According to Yogesh’s statement to the police, he had been firing the pistol in the air on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when a cartridge became stuck in the weapon’s chamber. He said he then kept the pistol aside without realising the danger. Yogesh told investigators that on Sunday morning, Jyoti, his brother Manoj and his sister were sitting together and calculating money. He came downstairs carrying the same pistol, which he believed was jammed. He claimed that he first pointed the pistol at his brother Manoj’s head as a joke and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. He then pointed it at his sister’s head and again pressed the trigger, but the weapon did not fire. According to Yogesh, when he pointed the pistol at his sister-in-law Jyoti’s head for the third time and pulled the trigger, the cartridge lodged in the chamber suddenly fired. The bullet struck Jyoti in the head, causing her death on the spot. The incident triggered panic among family members. Instead of immediately informing the police, they allegedly placed Jyoti’s body inside a deep freezer. The maternal family has questioned the family’s version of events and alleged that the death was not accidental. Police are investigating all angles and verifying the claims made by both sides. Paternal family said – If it was an accident, they should have taken her to the hospital, why did they get a deep freezer? On Monday, Bhavesh, the deceased’s brother who arrived in Gwalior, went to Thatipur police station and told the police that if the bullet had been fired accidentally, the family should have immediately taken Jyoti to the hospital. Instead, a deep freezer was ordered to hide the body. He alleged that several family members might be involved in the entire incident. Bhavesh says that ever since their marriage, Jyoti’s husband Manoj used to harass her under the influence of drugs. According to the deceased’s brother, he had gone to his sister’s house on Saturday to attend his son’s ‘Chhathi’ ceremony. On Sunday morning around 8 AM, husband Manoj called and informed that Jyoti had fallen from the stairs and her condition was serious. After the concern of the maternal side, one of their acquaintances reached Jyoti’s house. He remained there for about two hours. It is alleged that during this time, the in-laws did not even let him get a hint that Jyoti had died and her body was kept in the house. The brother alleges that preparations were being made to cremate the body at night and destroy evidence. Brother-in-law arrested, search for husband continues Thatipur police station has arrested the accused brother-in-law, Yogesh. He is being interrogated regarding the illegal weapon used in the incident. Meanwhile, the deceased’s husband Manoj is still absconding and police teams are continuously raiding to find him. Thatipur Police Station In-charge Vipendra Singh Chauhan said that the deceased’s parental side has accused of murder and harassment. The accused brother-in-law has been taken into custody and is being interrogated. Efforts are underway to recover the weapon used in the incident and arrest the absconding husband.