Panchkula, May 3 : Six days after the charred body of a woman was found dumped in the MDC, the Panchkula police arrested the victim’s friend and his younger brother on a murder charge. On of the suspects strangled the victim, identified as Aarti. Assisted by his brother, he put her body in a gunny bag and took it to a secluded place where it was set on fire.
The suspects have been identified as Anand (26) and Azad (24), both residents of Pipliwala Town near Mani Majra. Anand is married and has a three-year-old boy from the marriage, but he is living separately from his wife.Deputy Commissioner of Police Kamal Deep Goyal said during preliminary investigations, it was found that on the fateful day, Aarti had left her parents’ house in Surajpur on a scooty around 6 pm after telling her parents that she was going to meet Anand. He said the victim had told Anand that she was five months’ pregnant and he should marry her. He said after this arguments started as Anand claimed that she was having an affair with some other person also. He allegedly strangled the victim on a bed and later called his younger brother Azad. They put the body in a jute bag and took it on the victim’s scooty to the MDC area. At the site, the duo sprinkled petrol, which they had brought with them from home, on the victim’s body and after setting it on fire escaped from the spot.
Goyal said it had come to light that Aarti had first come in contact with Anand in October 2018. Anand was running a shop in Palika Bazar, Sector 19, Chandigarh, with the name Jain Fashioners, selling bridal items. He said the victim had gone to his shop to buy items as her family was planning to remarry her widowed sister-in-law. He said they exchanged their mobile numbers and after meeting several times, they became friends. He said after this, they fell in love and developed physical relations. The victim used to visit Anand’s house regularly. Shishpal, who was working as a tailor in Surajpur, had identified the girl from her clothes, besides producing a photograph of the victim. He had told the police that his daughter had left the house to meet Anand on her scooty after informing them. He said when they questioned Anand about the whereabouts of their daughter, he feigned ignorance. He had also told the police that his daughter was married and was living separately from her husband. Their daughter also had a nine-year-old child and he duo was living with them.
DCP Goyal said they would carry out a DNA test of Anand and match it with the foetus of victim Aarti. He said they were yet to recover the mobile and purse of the victim. The two suspects will be produced in court.
