Jaipur, July 9 : In a case that has shaken Rajasthan and triggered nationwide outrage, police have alleged that a 23-year-old woman conspired with her own relatives to kill her mother in Jaipur, for family property and to secure a government job on compassionate grounds. What was initially dressed up as a tragic road accident has now been exposed as a meticulously planned contract killing, according to investigators.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Ranjita Sharma said the victim, 45-year-old Neeraj Sharma, a resident of Ravindra Nagar in Pratap Nagar, died on July 3 after being hit by a speeding Scorpio SUV. The incident occurred at around 4:45 pm as Neeraj was returning home after dropping her differently-abled son at his coaching classes. Police said the force of the collision threw her nearly 100 feet, killing her on the spot. Investigators estimate the vehicle struck her at a speed of nearly 130 kmph.
A Job, A Property Dispute, And An Alleged Betrayal
The roots of the alleged conspiracy trace back roughly a year. Neeraj’s husband, Vijay Kumar Sharma, who worked as a Lower Division Clerk (LDC) at a court, died about a year ago. Following his death, Neeraj received a compassionate appointment in his place.
That appointment, police allege, became the flashpoint. Investigators claim that daughter Ayushi wanted the government job for herself and blamed her mother for preventing her from getting it. A police officer said Ayushi believed her future had been damaged because her mother did not allow her to claim the position. Police also claim there was a long-running dispute within the family over property.
Three Months Of Planning, A Failed First Attempt
According to police, the murder was anything but impulsive. Ayushi, her paternal uncle Mohan Swaroop, and her cousin Balram alias Ravi allegedly explored multiple ways to kill Neeraj before deciding to stage the murder as a hit-and-run. An initial attempt using a rented SUV reportedly failed, after which Balram arranged another vehicle and the accused monitored Neeraj’s movements for nearly a month. Officials allege the accused spent close to three months preparing for the crime.
Police claim the conspirators hired Hemant Sharma, a resident of Bayana, for Rs 7 lakh to carry out the killing. Hemant allegedly recruited four more people to help execute the plan.
A Brother’s Suspicion Cracked The Case
Chillingly, the victim appears to have sensed the danger. Investigators said Neeraj had grown aware of her daughter’s hostile behaviour and had told her brother, Rakesh Kumar Sharma of Bayana in Bharatpur, that Ayushi was heading down a dangerous path.
After the crash, Rakesh lodged a complaint expressing suspicion of foul play and named his niece and others in the FIR. “During the investigation, it emerged that the death was not accidental but a pre-planned murder. The accused had hired assailants to kill the woman and tried to present it as a road accident,” DCP Ranjita Sharma said. CCTV footage reportedly captured both the moment of impact and the SUV fleeing the scene.
Seven Arrested, One Absconding
Police have arrested Ayushi, her paternal uncle Mohan Swaroop (56), alleged contract killer Hemant Sharma (20), and four of Hemant’s associates. Balram alias Ravi, Mohan Swaroop’s son and Ayushi’s cousin, remains absconding. The Scorpio SUV allegedly used in the crime has been seized. Search operations to trace the absconding accused are continuing.
Police said that in her statement, the accused admitted she had asked her mother to let her take the job after her father’s death, but her mother took the position instead, a decision that investigators say bred resentment.
The allegations remain under investigation, and the guilt or innocence of the accused will be determined by the courts. But if the police case holds, it would stand among the most disturbing recent examples in India of a murder allegedly motivated by a job and property, carried out, prosecutors will argue, by a daughter against the mother who raised her.
