Bro now prime suspect in 17yo girl’s murder

Bareilly: The brother of a 17-year-old girl, who was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district on Thursday evening, has emerged as the prime suspect in her murder after police found inconsistencies in his statements, police sources told TOI on Friday. Police suspect that the motive behind the murder may be linked to unresolved family disputes, although they are still probing further.
Initially, the girl's brother had accused two men, Pappu Kumar and Rinku Kumar, of the murder, but the investigation has taken a new turn. Both men had been charged earlier in Feb with abducting the girl, but it was later revealed that they were not involved in the killing. The police now believe that the brother may have fabricated the story to divert attention from himself.
Pappu Kumar and Rinku Kumar were reportedly at a hospital at the time of the incident. Rinku's father had passed away following a prolonged illness, and their presence at the hospital has been verified by witnesses and medical records, clearing them of any involvement in the murder. This led the police to shift their focus towards the victim's brother.
Sambhal SSP Krishna Kumar said, "A minor girl was shot dead in the Kailadevi area, and we had initially registered an FIR against two men for murder, as they were earlier accused of abducting the girl. However, they were not the killers. The brother's conflicting statements have raised doubts, and we are now investigating why he misled the police. The case will be resolved soon."
A senior officer involved in the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, told TOI, "The brother has emerged as the prime suspect because he has been changing his statements throughout the investigation. However, we cannot take any strict action until we gather concrete evidence."