Representative image of a police van
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Bareilly (UP): A 65-year-old woman passed away here on Monday, only a week after the murder of her 40-year-old son, who was an eyewitness in two criminal cases against his killers.
The grieving family reached the office of Bareilly Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anurag Arya with the woman's body and staged a protest to demand the arrest of those involved in her son's killing.
The family insisted that they would not take away the body until all the suspects in the murder of 40-year-old Pushpendra were apprehended.
According to SSP Arya, three suspects have already been arrested in the case, while seven still at large.
Superintendent of Police (City) Manush Parik said Arya spoke with the protesting family, assuring them that the remaining suspects would be arrested soon.
"After much persuasion, the family agreed to leave, taking the body with them," he said.
According to officials, Pushpendra was killed on November 5 evening on Bisalpur Road in the Bhuta area. He was returning home on his bike when three men on another motorcycle shot him.
A police team reached the spot after being alerted and rushed Pushpendra to Bareilly for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries.
His mother, 65-year-old Narayano Devi, passed away on Monday morning, reportedly unable to bear the shock of her son's death.
Pushpendra's wife Sangeeta said, "My mother-in-law cried the entire night and was found dead in the morning. She was deeply shaken by her son's murder; her death was caused by the shock." The police said the three arrested suspects have confessed that Pushpendra was a witness in two criminal cases against them, including a murder case in which one of the suspects, Vinod, feared conviction.
The group plotted Pushpendra's murder at the home of Puranlal, a known history-sheeter, they added.
Further investigation has shown a longstanding feud between Pushpendra's family and Puranlal's family, residing in the same village, according to police.
In 2021, Pushpendra's brother was murdered, leading to charges against Puranlal's brother Pawan Kumar, who is currently in jail. Pushpendra was the complainant in that case, which is now in its final stages in court, they said.