The Ghaziabad police on Saturday arrested a 50-year-old assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of the Delhi traffic police and his accomplice on charges of shooting dead a betrothed couple at the ‘Sai Upvan’ temple complex in Ghaziabad on March 25 morning.

The two suspects were identified as ASI Dinesh Kumar, who is posted at Seemapuri circle in Delhi’s northeast district and is a resident of Pilakhuwa and Pintu Sharma, 33, whose Maruti Swift car was used in the crime. Sharma is a resident of Shahdara

The police said the ASI, the woman victim’s relative, had developed relations with her and was angry when he saw her with another man.

Victims Priti, 32, and Annu Chauhan, 26, had got engaged on March 10 and were to marry in May. Both were residents of Vijay Nagar locality. According to police, ASI Kumar is married and has four children. He was furious with Priti as she, two days before the murders, had snapped all relations with Kumar.

Police said ASI Kumar was on duty the night before the murders. But he skipped his duty and, March 25 morning, he tailed Priti from her house in Sharma’s car.

“Kumar is a relative of the woman and a frequent visitor to her house. They had developed a relationship and when Priti snapped ties with Kumar, he was enraged. The suspects arrived outside the woman’s hous around 7am on March 25 and started following her. They saw her getting on the two-wheeler of her fiancé,” Upendra Kumar Agrawal, deputy inspector general, said.

Both Priti and Chauhan went to the Sai Upvan temple, opposite River Hindon Metro station. When they were getting out of the temple, Kumar allegedly shot them dead with his service pistol.

“Before shooting them, Kumar asked Priti to come with him but she refused. Enraged, Kumar fired four shots at her. When Chauhan tried to come to Priti’s rescue, Kumar shot him thrice, and he, too, died on the spot. Kumar was in his uniform and a jacket. After firing seven shots, he fled the spot in Sharma’s car and continued with his work as usual,” Agrawal added.

Based on electronic surveillance and information gathering, police zeroed in on Kumar who allegedly admitted to the crime. The police said both Kumar and Sharma were arrested and booked for murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.The police will also write to Delhi Police about ASI’s arrest .

The police have recovered the service pistol and three live
cartridges.

First Published: Mar 31, 2019 06:44 IST