Delhi model, lover get life for plotting his wife's murder
What's the story
A 26-year-old model, Angel Gupta, and her lover, Manjeet Singh, have been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Singh's wife, Sunita.
A Delhi court found the couple guilty in the contract killing that happened in October 2018, calling it a "well-planned criminal conspiracy."
The court determined that Sunita was murdered entirely because she stood in the way of her husband and his lover's wish to be together.
Career shift
Gupta's journey from films to real-life tragedy
"This court has no hesitation in saying that it is a cold-blooded murder of a lady who was trying to save her matrimonial life and the future of her children," the court said.
Gupta, born Shashiprabha to an Indian father and a British mother, adopted the name in her quest for a film career.
She initially appeared in low-budget movies, item songs and magazine covers before shifting to Delhi.
Love affair
The couple's relationship and its impact
Here, she met Singh, a property dealer, who would later become her lover and co-conspirator in the tragic murder of his wife.
Gupta fell for Singh after he came to her rescue from two harassers outside a Gurugram club.
However, Singh's marriage to Sunita, a Haryana school teacher, complicated things.
The affair strained Manjeet's marriage as he moved in and out of home to spend time with his wife and 16-year-old daughter and Gupta.
Murder plan
The deadly plot and its execution
At long last, Gupta's father, Rajeev, an industrialist, reportedly forced Singh to choose between his family and his mistress.
This ultimatum forced the lovers to hatch a plan to murder Sunita.
They paid ₹10 lakh to contract killers hired by Rajeev's driver.
A day before Karva Chauth, the shooters made their first try, but they missed her because they were too busy eating samosas at a stand close to her home, according to TOI.
Legal proceedings
Investigation and conviction in Sunita's murder case
Four days later, they shot her dead.
Cops ruled out robbery as a motive when her purse and phone were recovered near her body.
They found their first clue when they found Sunita's diary, where she chronicled her troubled marriage and Singh's affair with Gupta.
Confronted with the evidence, Singh confessed their involvement in the crime.
On 29 April 2025, Delhi's Rohini Court convicted Gupta, Singh, Rajeev, their driver Deepak, and two shooters Vishal and Shehzad, for conspiracy and murder.