Lucknow: In a case solved largely through scientific and forensic investigation, Bareilly police have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his 58-year-old mother nearly 26 months ago.Police ruled out six suspects through a detailed probe that included expert medical analysis, surveillance inputs and polygraph examinations.Mahendra Singh (37), a resident of Kudda village under Bhamaura police station limits, was arrested on Sept 30 in connection with the murder of his mother, Rambeti, who was found dead on Aug 7, 2024.An FIR was filed under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The breakthrough came after the probe, led by Bareilly ASP Anshika Verma, adopted a scientific approach.“We examined witness accounts, surveillance inputs, medical records and the movements of all suspects before concluding that the six named accused were not involved in the crime. Polygraph tests conducted on them also failed to establish any role in the murder,” said ASP Verma.A crucial turning point came from an expert medico-legal assessment of the post-mortem report. According to investigators, the state medico-legal cell analysed the digestion status of food in the victim’s body and concluded that she likely died 2-3 hours after her last meal, placing the time of death around midnight.This finding directly contradicted Mahendra’s repeated claim that the murder occurred around 4.30 am.The ASP reconstructed the sequence of events surrounding the crime and examined the activities of family members before and after the incident.“We also scrutinised emergency calls made by Mahendra, who allegedly contacted police using three different phone numbers and provided varying versions of events,” the officer added.Police said Mahendra also declined to undergo a polygraph examination, further raising suspicion. After correlating the medical opinion, contradictory statements, surveillance findings and other circumstantial evidence, it was concluded that the evidence pointed towards Mahendra’s involvement, leading to his arrest and production before a court.Police records cited in the case mention several previous cases against Mahendra, including those registered in 2009, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2025. These include cases under provisions relating to assault, criminal intimidation, intentional insult and under the Arms Act.
