Dubbed ‘lady supari killer’ by police, Shobha (37) from Byappanahalli is now cooling her heels in the jail on a charge of killing Gopal, her husband and Samuel, her lover.

According to police, Shobha fell in love with Gopal and married him. Three years ago, she fell in love with Samuel. Her husband became aware of her affair and the two quarrelled often. Finally, she plotted to killed him, police said.

On November 4, 2007, Shobha murdered her husband with the help of Samuel and his friends Sharavan and Rajashekhar. To destroy evidence, she is alleged to have got his body burnt and thrown on Malavalli road in Mandya. She then complained to police that her husband was missing.

Mandya police, who found a charred body and began investigation, which finally revealed the involvement of Shobha, Samuel and his friends. Police  recovered the weapon used in the murder and the car used for disposing off the body. Shobha and her pals were arrested but let off on bail.

Out on bail, Samuel wanted to discontinue his relationship with Shobha, but her threats dissuaded him. Shobha’s love for Samuel wore thin and she got into an affair with Praveen. Now, she wanted to get rid of Samuel.

She persuaded Praveen to kill Samuel, promising to pay him of Rs five lakh and get him out on bail if he was arrested.

On September 12 this year when Samuel’s mother and sister had gone to Church and he was alone at his Michael Palya residence, Praveen with his aides Rajan, Charles, Logendra Prasad and Karthik barged into his residence.

They slit his throat and inflicted multiple stab wounds all over his body. Police investigation into the murder case revealed the involvement of Shobha and Praveen who were arrested along with the others involved in the murder. Weapons used in the murder have been seized.