Police said Chandrajeet Gautam’s wife, Vandana, who was in the house at the time, initially told relatives that her husband had died in his sleep. (File Photo)A faint mark on the neck of a 27-year-old labourer, found dead at his home in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district on Saturday morning, was enough to convince his family that something was amiss. Their suspicions prompted a police investigation that, officers said, uncovered an alleged plot by the man’s wife and her lover to kill him so they could be together.Police said Chandrajeet Gautam’s wife, Vandana, who was in the house at the time, initially told relatives that her husband had died in his sleep. That account collapsed after the post-mortem examination found that he had died of strangulation.As investigators pieced together Chandrajeet’s final hours, they uncovered evidence of an alleged relationship between Vandana and Rajesh Kumar, a distant relative of the deceased. Both were taken into custody for questioning.“During questioning, Vandana and Rajesh admitted to the killing. They told us they had planned the murder so they could live together,” said Phool Chandra Pandey, Station House Officer of Badlapur police station.Vandana and Chandrajeet had been married for about seven years and had two young children. Rajesh, also a daily-wage labourer, lived about 300 metres from the victim’s home.Police said Chandrajeet was allegedly aware of the relationship between his wife and Rajesh, and that the issue had repeatedly led to arguments between the couple.According to police, they were alerted on Saturday morning after the victim’s family suspected that his death was not natural. A police team reached the house, where, police said, Vandana initially insisted that her husband had died in his sleep and resisted handing over the body. After prolonged persuasion, officers took the body into custody and sent it for an autopsy.Story continues below this adThe SHO said the autopsy concluded that Chandrajeet was strangled to death. They then began questioning family members, neighbours and others close to the victim.During questioning, police said, Vandana alleged that her husband, whom she described as a habitual drinker, frequently argued with and assaulted her over minor issues.Chandrajeet was cremated on Saturday.Following the arrests, police said the children had been placed in the care of the victim’s family.