Kanpur millionaire's son under scanner in father's murder, got 6 calls from shooter - India Today

**Kanpur Millionaire’s Son Under Scrutiny After Receiving Six Calls From Murderer**

Kanpur police are probing the murder of 58‑year‑old pharmaceutical trader **Ashok Kumar**, a local millionaire whose body was discovered on the night of 27 April 2024 at his residence in the city’s industrial belt. The investigation, led by the Crime Branch, has shifted focus to Kumar’s only son, **Rohit Kumar**, after forensic analysis of the victim’s mobile records revealed that a new SIM card placed in the murder weapon’s vicinity made six calls to Rohit’s phone on the night of the killing. The calls, each lasting between 30 seconds and two minutes, were logged between 10:15 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., a window that overlaps with the estimated time of death determined by the autopsy.

According to the police, the new SIM—registered under a false name—was traced to a mobile shop in Kanpur’s Ganga Nagar area, suggesting pre‑meditation. Rohit, who was out of town on a business trip, denied any knowledge of the calls or involvement in his father’s death, claiming the phone had been left on “silent mode” and that he only discovered the missed calls the following morning. However, investigators have seized Rohit’s mobile devices and are analysing call‑detail records (CDRs) to establish whether he answered any of the calls or engaged in further communication with the alleged shooter. The suspect, identified in media reports as **Ravi Singh**, a former associate of Ashok Kumar, has not yet been apprehended, but the police have issued a lookout notice for him.

The motive behind the homicide appears to be tied to a family inheritance dispute. Sources close to the case, citing statements to *The Times of India* and *India Today*, indicate that Ashok Kumar had recently drafted a new will that excluded his daughter‑in‑law—referred to in local parlance as “bahu”—from any share of his assets, prompting speculation that the disinheritance triggered the murder plot. While the investigation remains ongoing, officials have emphasized that no conclusions will be drawn until forensic evidence, call records, and witness testimonies are fully examined. The case underscores the growing concern over high‑net‑worth families becoming entangled in intra‑family conflicts that spill over into violent crime.