Jhansi Shaken: Retired Lawyer Strangled by Neighbor over Unpaid Loan and Old Court Case:

A chilling murder in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, has left the city in shock. On the morning of August 5, Bhanu Prakash Sarwariya, a 62-year-old retired Additional District Government Counsel (ADGC), was strangled to death in his home by his neighbor, Sachin Verma.

Why did this happen? The story is tangled in old grievances and recent debts. Sachin had borrowed ₹60,000 from Sarwariya and failed to pay it back. As security, Sarwariya had confiscated Sachin’s motorcycle. But money wasn’t the only thing festering between them. Back in 2001, Sachin was accused of kidnapping and sexually exploiting his girlfriend—a case which Sarwariya defended in court. Sachin believed the lawyer’s negligence led to his conviction. The bitterness only got worse when a fresh warrant landed Sachin in jail for three months last year.

Fearing another conviction at a September hearing on the same case, Sachin snapped. Early on August 5, he reportedly broke into Sarwariya’s house through the roof and strangled him.

The crime came to light when Sarwariya’s son-in-law (also named Sachin Verma, but unrelated to the accused) reported the murder to the police. After questioning, authorities arrested 26-year-old Sachin Verma, son of Prem Kumar Dashariya. He confessed to the killing and now awaits trial under BNS Section 103 for murder.