Champa Devi is a cancer patient. Her daughter Jyoti had married only six months ago.
An extra-marital affair, a deadly clash, and lives shattered in the wake of a lover's fury - Ghaziabad's latest crime story looks like a page taken out of a David Baldacci novel. The victim, an 18-year-old woman named Jyoti, had travelled from her in-laws' home in Uttar Pradesh's Babrala town to care for her ailing mother, Champa Devi who is a cancer patient, in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram area.
Lalitesh, Jyoti's husband and an e-rickshaw driver accompanied her to Champa Devi's home. On Tuesday, a man identified as Bobby unleashed a frenzied knife attack on Champa Devi. In an attempt to shield her, Jyoti and Lalitesh intervened, only for Jyoti to die in the clash, and Lalitesh to sustain serious injuries. The couple had married just six months ago.
As the dust settled on the ghastly scene, the details behind the attack began to unravel. According to the police, Bobby was released from the Gautam Buddha Nagar jail merely 15 days ago. He was romantically involved with Champa Devi whose affections had shifted towards another man named Ajay during Bobby's absence. Champa Devi's first husband is dead and his second husband is disabled and lives in Bihar.
Enraged by Champa Devi's affair with another man, Bobby had first called Ajay and threatened him before paying the family a visit. He was accompanied by another man when he arrived at Champa Devi's residence.
During Bobby's knife attack, with Jyoti and Lalitesh tussling with him, Champa Devi dashed for the police station near her home. Police personnel soon arrived on the scene arrested Bobby and took a bleeding Jyoti to a hospital where she later died. An investigation is underway to track down the man who had accompanied Bobby, police said.