Unveiling startling revelations in the Noida lawyer murder case, law enforcement authorities have disclosed that the former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, who brutally killed his 61-year-old wife—a Supreme Court lawyer—within their residence, orchestrated an astonishing ruse. After the heinous act, he summoned a prospective buyer to the house, inviting them for a tour of the property.
On Monday, the 62-year-old accused, Nitin Sinha, found himself in police custody after his arrest from a concealed location—the storage room of bungalow number D-40, situated in Sector 30 of Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Shockingly, he had reportedly eluded capture for over 24 hours following the gruesome murder of his wife within their residence on the preceding Sunday.
According to the police account, the tragic sequence of events transpired when Nitin Sinha engaged in a heated dispute with his wife, Renu, as they sat down for their morning tea at approximately 9 a.m. This altercation escalated into a violent physical confrontation, culminating in Renu suffering a severe head injury after falling to the ground. Subsequently, Nitin proceeded to strangle her to death, using her own hands.
During subsequent questioning, Nitin Sinha confessed to recurrent disputes with his wife, primarily stemming from her objections to selling the bungalow. He elaborated that he had already reached an agreement to sell the property for a sum of Rs 5.70 crore and had collected an advance payment of Rs 55 lakh. The ownership of the bungalow had been transferred to the couple by Nitin Sinha's parents.
The preliminary postmortem examination findings revealed visible facial injuries and strangulation marks on Renu Sinha's neck. Authorities await the final postmortem report and forensic analysis to ascertain more comprehensive details.
In a shocking twist, Nitin Sinha revealed to the police that after committing the crime, he had summoned the prospective buyer, Antayesh Bhandari, and a real estate broker to the house. Astoundingly, he concealed Renu's lifeless body in an upstairs bathroom while ushering the visitors through the ground floor of the residence.
Antayesh Bhandari recounted his visit to India Today, stating that he and his son, accompanied by the broker, arrived at the property at approximately 12 p.m. on Sunday to inspect it. He noted that Nitin Sinha appeared visibly nervous during the tour but did not venture upstairs. Nitin informed them that his wife, who was battling cancer, was resting and he did not wish to disturb her.
The family members of Renu revealed that she had been suffering from bone cancer and was accustomed to maintaining a specific temperature on her air conditioning unit, typically set at 24 degrees Celsius. To mitigate the potential odors associated with her condition, the couple had been sleeping in separate rooms.
However, on the day of the murder, Nitin had intentionally lowered the air conditioning temperature to circumvent any unpleasant odors emanating from the body. His plan reportedly involved absconding abroad with the proceeds from the property sale, according to the family.
Upon the police's arrival, it was discovered that the air conditioning unit in Renu's room had been adjusted to a temperature ranging between 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
The grim incident came to light when Renu Sinha failed to respond to her brother's repeated phone calls spanning two days. Alarmed by her unresponsiveness, her brother promptly reported the matter to the police. Consequently, law enforcement officers forcibly entered the bungalow and discovered Renu's lifeless body in the bathroom around 5 p.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, Nitin remained unreachable due to his switched-off phone.
Subsequently, a search operation was initiated to locate Nitin Sinha, and a lookout notice was issued around 6 p.m. Detectives meticulously reviewed CCTV footage from the premises, which yielded no evidence of him exiting the house. This suspicion was further substantiated when Nitin briefly powered on his mobile phone, enabling the authorities to trace his location back to the bungalow.
The police meticulously combed the house, ultimately locating Nitin Sinha in the locked storeroom situated on the terrace. In his possession were a credit card, debit card, and passport. Nitin disclosed to the police that he had intended to flee to the United Kingdom with the funds anticipated from the property's sale.
In regards to the couple, Renu Sinha would occasionally visit the Supreme Court, typically once or twice each month, given her ongoing battle with cancer. Although she had been declared cancer-free a month earlier, her weakened physical state persisted, as per her family.
Nitin Sinha, a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer belonging to the 1988 batch, had voluntarily opted for retirement (VRS) in 1998. Subsequently, he was receiving 50 percent of his pension. Upon retiring, he had primarily devoted himself to overseeing the upkeep of their residence.
The couple also has a son, currently employed as a financial analyst abroad.
