Vinod Bharara, it is learnt, had frequent arguments with Nidhi after he learnt of her affair
Three years after a businessman was shot dead in Haryana's Panipat, a WhatsApp message and a police officer's keen eye have unearthed a murky murder plotted allegedly by the victim's wife.
Vinod Bharara was shot dead at his home on December 15, 2021. The shooter was Dev Sunar, a truck driver involved in an accident that had left Vinod seriously injured. At the time of arrest, Dev Sunar had told cops that he shot Vinod dead because he had refused an out-of-court settlement in the accident case.
The victim was dead, the shooter was in prison and the case in cold storage. And then, a WhatsApp message popped up on the phone of district police chief and IPS officer Ajit Singh Shekhawat. The message urged the police officer to look into the matter again and raised suspicion that someone very close to Vinod masterminded his murder. Police found that the message was sent by Vinod's brother Pramod, who stays in Australia. When the officer closely scanned the files, he sensed something wrong.
"When I studied the case, I wondered why anyone would kill another man just because he had refused to settle an accident case. A case of rash driving does not attract a heavy penalty and accused often get bail, but the punishment for murder is far more severe," the officer explained.
The senior officer got Deepak Kumar of Haryana police's Criminal Investigation Agency to look at the case anew. As police probed this angle, they found that Dev Sunar was close to Sumit, a gym trainer who knew Vinod Bharara's wife Nidhi well. Police zeroed in on the suspects and questioned them, and their statements provided the missing pieces of the puzzle.
A Killer Affair
Nidhi Bharara, Vinod Bharara's wife and mother of their daughter, met Sumit at a gym she frequented. The two grew close and an affair began. Vinod reportedly got wind of this and confronted his wife, which led to frequent arguments at home. The businessman also had face-offs with Sumit and asked him to stay away from his wife. As the altercations continued, Nidhi and Sumit allegedly plotted to kill Vinod, the probe has found.
A Failed Attempt, And Plan B
During questioning, Sumit told the police that they approached Dev Sunar, a truck driver from Punjab, for the hit job. The truck driver was offered Rs 10 lakh in cash. He agreed. Then a pick-up van was arranged and Sunar rammed this vehicle into Vinod's car on January 5, 2021. Vinod suffered serious injuries but survived. Nidhi and Sumit, frustrated after the failure, activated plan B. Sunar visited Vinod's home and asked him to settle the accident case. He refused and Sunar shot him dead. The investigation also found that days after Vinod's murder, Sumit and Nidhi set off on a Manali trip. According to news reports, she also sent her children to stay with their uncle in Australia.
The Big Revelation
On joining the dots, police took Nidhi and Sumit into custody and questioned them with their findings. The two admitted to the crime. It also came to light that the legal and household expenses of Dev Sunar were being paid by Nidhi from the insurance payout she received on Vinod's death. In fact, she had also withdrawn her statement as the prime witness in her husband's murder. This would severely weaken the case. With the role of Nidhi and Sumit clear in the murder, the two were arrested and produced in court. They are now in jail.