A day after murder, Bengal Police arrest Jharkhand actor's husband

Kolkata, Dec 29: Investigation officers probing the murder of Jharkhand- based actress and YouTuber Riya Kumari, arrested her husband, Prakash Kumar on Thursday morning.

The actor was shot dead at point-blank range on the national highway in Howrah district of West Bengal early Wednesday morning.

State police sources said the arrest had been made based on two factors. The first factor was a complaint lodged against Prakash Kumar by the members of the maternal family of the deceased, who reached Kolkata on Wednesday night and filed a complaint against Riya's husband. In the complaint, the family members of Riya Kumar, who was second wife of Prakash Kumar, have also named the first wife of the latter on this count.

The second factor that prompted his arrest, said state police sources, were the inconsistencies in the statements of Prakash Kumar during his interrogation by the police on Wednesday.

It is learnt that in the complaint filed by the family members of the deceased it has been alleged that Prakash Kumar was jealous about the deceased's impressive income from YouTube. As per their allegations, he used to humiliate and physically assault her regularly and, in this process, his first wife played the role of an instigator. It has also been alleged that Prakash Kumar used to forcefully take away a major portion of her income from erned from acting assignments and YouTube.

As per Prakash Kumar's statement, the murder took place at around 6 a.m. on Wednesday while they were travelling to Kolkata from Ranchi and when he had stopped his vehicle near the Mahishrekha bridge at Bagnan under Uluberia sub- division of Howrah district to answer to nature's call.

As per his version, after he stopped his vehicle three miscreants attacked them with firearms with snatching intention and on being resisted one miscreant shot at Riya Kumari from point- blank range, which ultimately became the cause of her death.

The investigating officers smelt foul from his statements as it was full of factors of coincidence. The police have already recovered specimens like cartridge shells from within the vehicle. Further investigation is on to substantiate the evidence, as the police strongly doubt the miscreants referred to by Prakash Kumar in his statements were actually engaged by him.