ASHA worker hacked to death inside bedroom in Panna:Accused dies by suicide after consuming poison, both bodies found in locked room

An ASHA worker was allegedly hacked to death with a sickle inside her rented house in Panna district on Wednesday afternoon. The accused later consumed a sulphos (aluminium phosphide) tablet and died by suicide. Both bodies were found in a locked room, police said. The deceased has been identified as Rajni Shukla (37), an ASHA worker posted in the Sunwani area. She was living in a rented house in Pawai. The accused, Surendra alias Sitaram Tiwari, was a resident of Rajni’s native village, and the two reportedly knew each other. Accused forced victim’s daughter out of the house According to Pawai police, the accused arrived at Rajni’s residence between 1 pm and 2 pm. At the time, Rajni’s 17-year-old daughter was also present in the house. Police said Surendra allegedly forced the teenager out of the room and locked the door from inside. A dispute reportedly broke out between Rajni and the accused shortly afterwards. See 3 pictures related to the incident Victim attacked with sharp weapon According to the victim’s daughter, the argument escalated, following which the accused attacked Rajni with a sharp-edged weapon. She sustained multiple injuries on her neck and upper left arm and died on the spot. The daughter, who remained outside the room during the incident, was unable to intervene or enter the room. Accused consumed poison after murder After allegedly killing Rajni, Surendra consumed a sulphos tablet. He also died at the scene. The victim’s daughter informed the police about the incident. A police team rushed to the spot and, after opening the locked room, found the bodies of both Rajni Shukla and Surendra alias Sitaram Tiwari lying inside. Police conducted a detailed inspection of the crime scene and collected evidence. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination after necessary legal formalities. Police investigating relationship and motive SDOP Bhavana Singh Dangi said the exact motive behind the murder remains unclear. “Why the accused killed the woman, what kind of relationship existed between them, and the actual reason behind the dispute are yet to be established,” she said. Police are investigating the case from multiple angles and are questioning family members as well as local residents to determine the circumstances that led to the incident.