Romance at night, murder in morning? Businessman found dead in hotel, girlfriend stands accused

New Delhi: In a shocking incident in the Krishnanagar area of Lucknow, a businessman was found murdered in a hotel room under suspicious circumstances. The businessman, identified as Santosh Singh Gautam, was staying with his girlfriend, who is now the prime suspect in the case. Reports suggest that the girlfriend spent the night with Gautam, only to allegedly strangle him while he slept in the early hours of the morning and flee the scene. The police have since arrested the accused woman, Manju Singh, from Unnao.

Santosh’s wife, Krishna, has lodged a formal complaint, accusing Manju of blackmailing her husband for money. She claims that Manju extorted lakhs from Santosh and had been pressuring him for additional funds before the tragic incident occurred. 

Details of the incident

According to Lucknow Police DCP South, Keshav Kumar, the deceased, Santosh Singh Gautam, resided in PGI's Eldeco Rakshakhand and was involved in the construction materials business, operating from Bijnor. On Friday evening, at around 1:45 PM, Gautam checked into Hotel Sonam, located in Kesarikheda, Krishnanagar, with his girlfriend, Manju Singh. The two booked a room and spent the night together.

However, by 7 AM the following morning, Manju left the hotel. When hotel staff noticed no activity from Gautam’s room by 10:40 AM, they grew concerned and sent the manager to check on him. Inside, they found Gautam unconscious on the floor. Alarmed, the manager immediately called the police, who rushed the businessman to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead on arrival. The police later confirmed that Manju Singh had already fled the hotel by the time the body was discovered.

Allegations of blackmail

Upon receiving news of Santosh’s death, his wife Krishna revealed that Manju Singh had been blackmailing her husband for a long time. Krishna claimed that Manju had extorted large sums from Santosh and was demanding an additional ₹5 lakh before the incident. She further stated that she had filed a complaint against Manju at the police station on September 17, but no action was taken at the time. Krishna believes that this delay in police response led to her husband’s murder.

The police have now launched a thorough investigation, and Manju Singh remains in custody as they gather evidence to build the case.