Explosive police findings in Jharkhand’s Godda expose a judicial magistrate’s deadly scheme against his estranged wife, blending domestic fury with criminal underworld ties. The January 17 ambush near Gandhi Gram Flyover left Vandana Kumari critically wounded, sparking a relentless 72-hour probe.
Bike-riding gunmen pelted her with shots as she drove home post-Godda Court appearance. Two bullets pierced her; emergency chain from Pathargama clinic to Godda hospital to Bhagalpur stabilized her. SP Mukesh Kumar laid bare the backstory: 2019 marriage to Bihar magistrate Santosh Kumar Sah soured with Rs 15 lakh dowry extortion after his job.
Vandana’s 2020 abuse case prompted Santosh’s divorce push, morphing into a Rs 2 lakh assassination bid via brother Subodh. Godda cops arrested Bhagalpur’s Shyam Kumar Sah, Subodh, and Mohammad Arif, recovering bikes, helmets, masks, pistol, and casings from Arif’s abode. Three accomplices flee amid raids.
Four assailants zipped in on two machines, Subodh on a third. Santosh, Samastipur-based, dodged the scene but not the evidence—CDR, tech proofs summon him. Vandana recounted years of torment, highlighting dowry’s lethal grip even among the law-educated.
Beyond arrests, this saga demands introspection on judicial vetting and marital crimes. With Vandana alive to testify, the case could redefine accountability, ensuring no robe shields vendetta in India’s courts.