The car fire incident in the Ganj police station area on 25th February, which claimed the lives of police constable Lata Singh and her two‑year‑old son Laddu, was not an accident but a pre‑planned double murder. On Monday, police arrested the main accused, husband Dan Singh, along with two accomplices.
Investigation revealed that Dan Singh was motivated by the prospect of receiving nearly two crore fifty lakh to three crore rupees in insurance money after his wife’s death, along with a job under the deceased dependent category. Driven by this greed, he conspired with his accomplices to execute the crime.
According to sources, Dan Singh, resident of village Behatra in Milk, had gone to Nainital with his wife Lata, son Laddu, and relative Ravi Kumar. Lata, originally from Sitapur, was a police constable in Uttar Pradesh, posted in Shrawasti district. On the night of the incident, Dan Singh was driving the car. Immediately after the event, he claimed that a dumper truck had collided with the car, causing the fire.
However, thorough police investigation revealed that it was no ordinary accident. While returning from Nainital near Bajpur, Dan Singh stopped the car and took two cold drinks, into which he had secretly added sleeping pills. Lata and Laddu became unconscious after consuming the drinks. He then deliberately crashed the car into a dumper and set it on fire using petrol.
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Lata Showed Bravery
Laddu was burned alive inside the car. Lata regained partial consciousness and tried to escape but was blocked by the accused and his accomplices. Petrol pump staff and bystanders witnessed the scene, but Dan Singh called his associate Noor Hasan and transported Lata in the car towards Sanjeevani Hospital, killing her en route with a hammer.
Sources further reveal that this was Dan Singh’s second marriage. His first marriage was with Rajni from village Pastaur in Shahbad police station area. In 2015, Rajni died in a road accident at village Raura Kala. Police are now investigating that incident as well. This time, Dan Singh’s plan was to remove his wife and son to pursue a third marriage.
CCTV Footage Exposed the Truth
Initially, police also considered the incident an accident. Since the case involved a police constable, the search for the dumper intensified. More than three hundred CCTV cameras were examined from Nainital to the incident site. Each clue gradually unfolded, revealing the full story of the murder.
It is reported that Dan Singh had married Lata in 2021 through a love marriage. After the marriage, Lata wanted to reside in Sitapur, which Dan Singh opposed. Consequently, he planned to remove Lata and Laddu from his path, involving Ravi, Noor Hasan from village Sonkapur, Tanda police station area, Pradeep Kumar from Civil Lines, Panwadia, and Abdul Karim from village Chandka Madarpur, Patwai police station area.
Arrests and Ongoing Hunt
Police have arrested main accused Dan Singh, Noor Hasan, and Salman from Patwai. Ravi and Pradeep are still absconding and being searched. The police announced a reward of twenty‑five thousand rupees for the team that helped uncover the case.
According to police, the accused tried to fabricate the story that he and Ravi escaped safely after the “accident,” while Lata and Laddu were trapped inside the car. A report was filed at Ganj police station against an unidentified dumper. The investigation, which uncovered the sleeping pills and the staged dumper collision, exposed the shocking truth.
This case is a chilling example of conspiracy and greed, where a father brutally murdered his own wife and son for insurance money and personal gains.
