LUCKNOW, April 7 -- The car blaze in Rampur that claimed the lives of a woman constable and her two-year-old son in February was not an accident but a carefully planned double murder allegedly hatched by her husband, police said after cracking the case 40 days later. Addressing the media on Monday, Rampur superintendent of police (SP) Somendra Meena said the woman constable's husband, his younger brother and three associates conspired to kill her to allegedly claim insurance and compensation money, while also seeking to remove an obstacle to the husband's alleged relationship with another woman. Police on Monday arrested Daan Singh, 34, the victim's husband, along with Noor Hasan, 27, and Salman, 26. Daan Singh's brother Ravi Singh, 31, and another accused Pradeep, 32, are still at large and efforts are underway to arrest them. The victims-Lata, 25, a constable posted in Shravasti district, and her son Laddu, 2-died on the night of February 25 after their car caught fire on the Swar-Bazpur road in Rampur. Initially, the case was presented as a road accident. Daan Singh had told police that the family was returning from Nainital when a speeding dumper hit their car near Anga village in the Kashipur area around 11pm, triggering a blast in the fuel tank and turning the vehicle into a fireball. He claimed that he and Ravi managed to escape, but Lata and the child remained trapped inside. However, officials said inconsistencies in the statements of Daan Singh and Ravi soon raised suspicion. "Their versions kept changing during questioning. The post-mortem report further strengthened suspicion as it revealed multiple injuries to the victim's head caused by a heavy object," SP Meena said. A forensic examination of the charred vehicle found no evidence of collision with any dumper or heavy vehicle, ruling out the accident theory. Police said the accused first administered sedative tablets to Lata and the child to render them unconscious. They then allegedly sprinkled petrol on the car and set it on fire. The child died in the blaze. Lata, however, survived the initial fire with severe burn injuries and was still breathing, investigators said. According to police, Daan Singh and Ravi then called their associates in another vehicle. While taking Lata towards the hospital, they allegedly repeatedly struck her on the head with a hammer, killing her before she could receive treatment. Officials said the murder plot was conceived in advance. During interrogation, Daan Singh allegedly confessed that the Nainital trip itself had been planned as part of the conspiracy to kill his wife. The first plan, police said, was to push the car with Lata and the child into a gorge in the hills, but the accused could not find an opportunity. On the return journey, they allegedly executed the alternative plan to burn the car and flee in a second vehicle trailing them. Police said call detail records and technical surveillance played a key role in unravelling the case. The mobile locations of Daan Singh and Ravi, along with other numbers active near the crime scene, led investigators to Noor Hasan, Salman and Pradeep, who were allegedly following the family's car in another vehicle. "The motive that has emerged includes an extramarital affair and an intention to usurp the insurance claim amount," Meena said. Police said the probe also found that Daan Singh's first wife had died in a car accident in 2020, also involving his vehicle. Though no case was registered at that time, the similarity in circumstances deepened suspicion during the present investigation. Police also said raids are underway to arrest the two absconding accused. SP Meena has announced a Rs.25,000 reward for the police team that solved the case....