Advocate’s wife murdered, husband, woman friend among three held

PANCHKULA: A woman alleged to be missing since January 16 was murdered, police said on Saturday after arresting her husband, his woman friend and her brother-in-law even though it was yet to find the body.
Man Mohan, a resident of Sector 19 who works as an advocate in the Panchkula district courts in Sector 1, had told the police on January 16 that his wife Rajni Bala had left the house without informing anyone. Cops had then registered a missing person's report at the Sector 20 police station. Police investigation, however, revealed Monika, who runs a beauty parlour in Manimajra, and her brother-in-law Sandeep had allegedly killed her.

Police said Monika during her interrogation said she along with Sandeep strangulated Rajni with the help of a rope in her car and buried the body at a site in Sector 23. Police caught her and Sandeep on Thursday night, while Manmohan was arrested on Saturday night after daylong interrogation.

Police suspect the husband's extra-marital affair as the reason behind the murder.

Sector 20 police station station house officer (SHO) inspector Vikash Kumar, the investigation officer, said, "We have not found the body of the victim till now. Her husband has been booked under murder charges. The murder was pre-planned."

On January 20, police received information that the body was found near the dumping ground in Sector 25. A police team along with forensic officials reached the spot and after digging around 3-foot deep, cops found the carcass of a dog.

Sources said Man Mohan had helped Sandeep attain divorce from his wife. Monika had introduced Sandeep to him, sources said. All three were booked under Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A local court has sent Monika to seven-day police remand.

BODY YET TO BE FOUND

January 16 | Husband of Rajni Bala, alias Neetu, alleges his wife has gone missing and lodges a complaint with the police

January 20 | Cops receive information that body of Rajni is found near the dumping ground in Sector 25. A police team along with forensic officials carry out digging at the site but instead find the carcass of a dog

January 25 | Cops arrest Monika, who runs a beauty parlour and is a friend of the victim's husband. She "admits to strangulating Rajni in Sector 23 in her car and dumping the body"

January 27 | Cops call victim's husband to Sector 20 police station and arrest him under charges of murder. Body of the victim is yet to be found