Love proposal rejected, girl shot dead in chest:Man planned to wipe out family, wrote threatening letter; sentenced to life imprisonment

In Part 1 of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, readers learned how Narayan City Colony in Bhairunda town of Sehore district was rocked by gunfire on 14 July 2024. A masked assailant forced his way into a house and shot 17-year-old Aarti Keer in the chest, killing her instantly. Her mother, Lalita Keer, was also shot in the head and left critically injured, fighting for her life. At first, police had no clues—no eyewitnesses, no clear leads. The case seemed like a dead end. But when the mystery was finally solved, the truth shocked everyone. The court later sentenced the accused to life imprisonment. Survivor’s statement breaks the case open The investigation took a crucial turn when Lalita Keer regained consciousness in a Bhopal hospital after battling for her life. Despite a bullet injury to her head, her statement became the first and most important lead for the police. Struggling through pain, Lalita recalled key details and named the attacker. She told police that the crime was not committed by a stranger but by Prabhu Singh Dayma, a man from their own village. She revealed that he had been harassing her daughter Aarti for several months. This revelation immediately changed the direction of the investigation. Friendship, rejection and rising obsession According to Lalita, Aarti and Prabhu Singh were once friends and spoke on the phone. Over time, Aarti became uncomfortable with his behaviour and decided to cut off contact. Prabhu Singh could not accept this rejection. His feelings of friendship turned into obsession and then into hatred. Lalita told police that for five to six months before the incident, he stalked Aarti while she travelled to and from college, stopped her on the road and pressured her to talk. Aarti informed her family, who took the matter seriously and filed a police complaint. The case was under trial at the time of the attack. However, even legal action failed to stop Prabhu Singh. Threatening letters and abusive calls The harassment continued. On 19 February 2024, Aarti’s younger brother Uday found a threatening letter stuck in the latch of the main gate early in the morning. The letter accused Aarti of “timepass” and betrayal, and contained objectionable language. The family reported this letter to the police as well. Earlier, in November and December 2023, Prabhu Singh had allegedly used Aarti’s phone to call her mother Lalita and hurl abusive insults. He openly threatened the family, saying Aarti had cheated him and that he would kill her and her father. Arrest and Confession: Weapon bought for ₹24,000 Based on Lalita’s statement, police immediately launched a search for Prabhu Singh Dayma and arrested him within three days of the incident. Initially, he tried to mislead investigators, but mobile location data placed him at the crime scene on the night of 14 July. Confronted with the evidence, he confessed. During questioning, he admitted that he felt humiliated after Aarti stopped talking to him and decided to take revenge. He revealed that he bought an illegal revolver and six cartridges for Rs 24,000 from a man named Saurabh to carry out the crime. Court rejects claim of mental illness During the trial, the accused attempted to escape punishment by claiming mental illness. His lawyer argued that the crime was committed due to mental instability. The court rejected this argument outright, stating that a mentally unstable person could not plan such a precise attack—buying an illegal weapon, entering a house, aiming accurately, killing one person and critically injuring another. The court ruled that the act was deliberate and pre-planned, showing criminal intent rather than mental illness. Justice delivered: Life imprisonment for the accused Lalita Keer, her son Uday and Aarti’s sister testified in court, identifying Prabhu Singh as the shooter and describing the horrific events of that night. Police presented strong evidence, including the threatening letter, earlier complaints, witness statements and crucial mobile location records. Based on the evidence, the court found Prabhu Singh Dayma guilty of murdering Aarti Keer under Section 302 of the IPC and attempting to murder Lalita Keer under Section 307. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, due to lack of strong evidence, the alleged arms supplier Saurabh Singh was acquitted, receiving the benefit of doubt.