Two weeks into their marriage, a 22-year-old woman hatched a plan with her lover and hired contract killers to murder her husband in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya district.

According to the police, the two accused, Pragati Yadav and Anurag Yadav, were in a relationship for the past four years. However, their parents did not approve of their relationship and forcefully got Pragati married to Dilip on March 5.

On March 19, the police found Dilip lying severely injured with bullet wounds in a field. He was rushed to the community health center in Bidhuna for treatment. However, as his condition got worse, the victim was taken to Saifai Hospital and then moved to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. The 25-year-old victim was then shifted to a hospital in Auraiya on March 20 where he died a day later, officials said.

Following the incident, the victim’s brother filed a complaint at the Sahar police station.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that as the victim’s wife and her lover were unable to meet after her marriage, they decided to kill the husband. The two then hired a contract killer, Ramaji Chaudhary, to murder Dilip and paid him Rs 2 lakh to do the job, the police said.

Officials said that Ramaji, along with some other people, took Dilip to the fields on a bike. Upon reaching, they started beating the victim and shot him. They immediately fled the scene, officials added.

The three accused were identified on the basis of CCTV footage and arrested subsequently. Officials also seized two pistols, four live cartridges, a bike, two mobile phones, one purse, Aadhar card, and Rs 3,000 from the accused.

The police are also on the lookout for other people involved in the crime – who are currently on the run.