Snakebite death reveals chilling murder plan: Meerut man allegedly killed by wife, her lover

A "snakebite death" in Meerut has unravelled into pure horror. The real-life crime story has shaken the community.

Atul Panwar, 35, married Damini for love back in 2019. They built a modest life together with their 6-year-old son. Four months ago, they rented a house in J Block Colony. In April, they opened a school, chasing a fresh start.

Then, Atul was found dead on Friday morning. Damini claimed a venomous snake had bitten him while sleeping. She said she had discovered him motionless, bringing him tea. Bite marks covered his hands and legs, according to The Indian Express.

Neighbours gathered, some claiming they'd spotted the snake themselves. Damini said that summer heat had forced her and their son outside. Atul, she said, had slept alone indoors that night.

Doctors declared him dead on arrival at the hospital. It seemed a tragic, freak accident; nothing more. But, Atul's father smelled something horribly wrong. He demanded a post-mortem despite Damini's fierce objections. That decision would blow the case wide open.

Police dug into phone records and interviews. They uncovered frequent contact between Damini and a driver. His name was Tushar, alias Nikky, aged 35. Confronted with evidence, Damini reportedly cracked completely, the publication reported.

She confessed to plotting murder with her secret lover. Four people are now under arrest. They are Damini, Tushar and two snake catchers, Sonu and Uday Kumar. They allegedly supplied the deadly weapon itself.

Police say the plot was chillingly calculated. Thursday night, Damini allegedly drugged Atul's milk with pills. Once he was unconscious, she rang Tushar. He arrived with the snake catchers and their reptile.

The men allegedly released the snake onto Atul's bed. It bit him as he lay defenceless. They allegedly left the snake behind afterwards. This staged the perfect illusion of a tragic accident.

According to police, the motive was chillingly simple. Damini's affair, combined with greed, drove the plot. Atul held a ₹20 lakh life insurance policy. Damini, and Tushar allegedly promised the snake catchers ₹5 lakh. They already paid an advance of ₹15,000.

Not the first attempt

Shockingly, police say this wasn't the first murder attempt. Tushar allegedly rammed Atul's motorbike deliberately 20 days ago. Atul survived, saved only by wearing his helmet, according to The Indian Express.

When told the plan had failed, Damini reportedly reacted coldly. She allegedly discouraged Atul from reporting it to the police. She claimed the attacker's vehicle couldn't be traced anyway.

What looked like nature's cruelty was allegedly cold-blooded murder. It was a wife’s betrayal.