A woman has been arrested for allegedly hiring a snake charmer to kill her boyfriend having reportedly been inspired by true crime TV shows.
Mahi Arya went on the run accused of murdering partner Ankit Chauhan, with local reports saying she wanted to start her life with a new lover.
She reportedly plotted to kill him for two months, after becoming inspired by hit TV show Crime Patrol.
Mahi, who is also known as Dolly, is alleged to have worked with lover Deep Kandpal and her maid, who has not been named, to carry out the attack.
She is believed to have hired a snake charmer for 10,000 Indian rupee – just under £100 – before inviting the victim to her house in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India on Friday, July 14.
The 32-year-old was bitten by a cobra on both of his feet, causing him to lose consciousness, he was then dragged into the back of a car parked a few roads away and left for dead.
He was found dead the next day by a businessman. The wounds on Chauhan’s feet were initially misdiagnosed as cases of asphyxia – a condition where body is deprived of oxygen causing death.
His sister, Isha Chauhan, alerted police and a post-mortem found he died from the fatal bites. Police have issued a £475 reward after launching a manhunt for the killers.
Mahi, her lover and the snake charmer have since been arrested.
