Astrologer held for killing Surat woman

KOTA/SURAT: A 51-year-old astrologer was arrested on Thursday for murdering his 35-year-old woman disciple from Surat, whose body was found on the roadside on Jhalawar-Baran mega highway near Kota in Rajasthan on Wednesday.

Astrologer Krishanant Rawal alias Kannubhai Maharaj, a resident of Haripura area, admitted to killing Rachana Modi, a resident of Shagun Villa Apartments on VIP road of Surat.

SHO at Mundawar police station, Murlidhar, said Rawal was the deceased woman’s astrologer and had in the past, got some of her works done through spiritual powers and rituals.

According to Rawal’s initial statement, Rachna was insisting on performing spiritual rituals to pave way for her union with her lover, but the astrologer was not ready for it. She was married, but had separated from her husband a few years ago and was living with her mother and working as a share broker from home.

Rachna along with Rawal was going by car on the morning of October 30 to visit a holy site in Makanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said, adding that she spoke to her mother for the last time over the phone at night, on October 30.

During the travel, an argument erupted between the two and in a fit of rage, he stabbed the woman with a knife killing her on the spot, the SHO said.

After the crime, he fled away in the car but in the state of restlessness and anxiety, he lost control over the car steering and eventually left it by the roadside about 1.5 km away, the SHO said. Police later detained him from the nearby jungle while he was trying to escape from the police, and following the interrogation and statements of the deceased’s family members, he was arrested on Thursday.

The body was on Thursday morning handed over to her family members after postmortem by medical board, he said.