Kanpur Pharma Trader Murder: Son Subrat Confesses, Says Wife Shalu Had No Role

The murder investigation into Kanpur-based pharmaceutical trader Vineet Minocha has taken a fresh turn, with his son Subrat Minocha allegedly telling police that he was responsible for his father's killing and that his wife, Shalu Minocha, had no role in the crime.

The development came after Subrat was detained on Wednesday and questioned alongside Shalu and former employee Vishal Gautam, who is accused of stabbing Vineet. Police, however, have not given Shalu a clean chit and are continuing to examine her alleged role in the case.

Vishal has also reportedly changed his earlier statement, telling investigators that Subrat had instructed him to name Shalu if they were caught. Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal said Vishal had told investigators that Subrat allegedly asked him to kill his father and promised him ₹6 lakh.

Police are now comparing the statements of Subrat, Shalu and Vishal with call records, CCTV footage, circumstantial evidence and the movements of the accused.

Subrat Changes Version During Questioning

According to sources, Subrat initially blamed Shalu during questioning but later changed his account as he became convinced that his arrest was imminent.

He reportedly told police that he had initially expected to be arrested immediately. However, after learning that Vishal had not named him in his statement, he became uncertain about the direction of the investigation.

Sources said Subrat subsequently decided to take responsibility for the murder and claimed that Shalu had no involvement.

During questioning, police also reportedly brought Subrat and Shalu face-to-face. Shalu allegedly broke down on seeing her husband, while Subrat remained largely silent and later turned his face away, sources said.

Shalu has maintained that she did not know who killed Vineet and had no role in the crime.

Hitman Alleges ₹6 Lakh Deal

According to Vishal's latest statement, Subrat had discussed carrying out the killing in a manner that would make Vineet's death appear natural.

Vishal also claimed that Subrat called him around six times on the day of the murder.

He allegedly told investigators that Vineet spotted them inside the room and raised an alarm, following which he panicked and attacked him with a knife.

Police are verifying these claims against digital and circumstantial evidence.

Financial And Property Angles Under Probe

Police are examining whether financial and property-related issues played a role in the alleged conspiracy.

According to Vishal's statement, Subrat feared that Vineet might transfer his property to one of the women with whom he allegedly had relationships.

Subrat was also reportedly facing debts of more than ₹20 lakh. Investigators are examining whether his financial liabilities contributed to the alleged motive.

Police are also looking into a dispute between Subrat and his father. According to sources, Vineet had reprimanded Subrat in June after allegedly discovering that he had sold items from his office without informing him and kept the proceeds.

Police are also examining Vineet's will and property documents as part of the investigation.

258 Calls Between Subrat And Vishal Under Scanner

Call records have emerged as a key part of the investigation.

Police are examining around 258 calls exchanged between Vishal and Subrat, compared with around 28 calls between Vishal and Shalu.

Investigators also found that Vishal had obtained a new SIM card shortly before the murder. Police said five calls made from that number were placed only to Subrat.

Police have obtained call detail records of seven mobile numbers linked to Subrat, Shalu and Vishal and are examining the communication trail.

The call records are being assessed alongside other evidence rather than being treated as conclusive proof of involvement.

CCTV System Also Under Scrutiny

The CCTV system at Subrat's house has also come under scrutiny.

According to police, the cameras had been out of service since July 22. Investigators are examining whether the system was deliberately switched off, although police have not conclusively established this.

Police are also investigating why Subrat and Shalu initially denied recognising Vishal when shown his CCTV image. Shalu reportedly identified him when shown the image again.

Murder On September 5

Vineet Minocha was stabbed to death at his Kanpur home on the night of September 5 while Subrat and Shalu were away at a party.

Police subsequently arrested Vishal Gautam and his associate Rajkishore, alleging that they carried out the killing. Shalu was also arrested earlier in the investigation over allegations that she had plotted the murder and hired the men.

According to the police timeline, Subrat and Shalu left their house at around 8:59 pm. Around 9:46 pm, Vishal and another accused allegedly entered Vineet's house. At around 9:56 pm, Subrat and Shalu reached Cosmos Inn, while Vineet entered the house at around 10:58 pm.

Police are now attempting to reconcile this timeline with Subrat's latest account, Vishal's statements, call records, CCTV evidence and other material collected during the investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police are continuing to verify the competing statements before drawing conclusions about the respective roles of the accused.