LUCKNOW, June 25 -- Investigations into the murder of a Sultanpur-based contractor, Uma Shankar Singh, have gathered pace after police identified a close woman friend and her family as prime suspects. Singh, 45, was found dead with multiple stab wounds inside his rented flat in Lucknow's Gudamba area on Tuesday.

Singh's second wife, Mamta Singh, has lodged a complaint against the woman, Vaishali, alleging a long-standing affair and financial exploitation. Police said that Vaishali, along with five others, including her parents and alleged lover, has been named in the FIR.

"A case under sections 103(1) and 61 of the BNS has been registered against Vaishali, her parents Dinesh and Sumitra, brother Anurag Singh, friend Avinash Singh, and S...