Panchkula: Three get life term for Mumbai woman’s murder

PANCHKULA: A local court has awarded life imprisonment to three persons for the murder of a Mumbai-based woman in 2016.
Manohar Lal Gupta (40), a resident of Sector 56, Chandigarh, and his driver Rajan (36) and Rajan’s wife Payal (25), both residents of Sector 10, Panchkula, were convicted under Sections 302 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 120 B and 201 of the IPC and 201.
According to police, Gupta was going to dispose of the body of Poonam, his friend, in a car on January 13, 2016. The body was tied, wrapped in a bed sheet, kept in a gunny bag and covered with vegetables. A PCR official had stopped him near Amartex Chowk. On being asked, he said he was going to throw away rotten vegetables. But when the official checked the car and turned the gunny bag, a hand came out. On being questioned, he revealed the names of Rajan and his wife Payal.
Body was covered with vegetables
Gupta had told police Poonam had come from Mumbai and both were residing in house number 1081, Sector 10, Panchkula. Lal said Rajan and his wife Payal were also residing with them on rent. In the night, he and Poonam consumed alcohol and fought over an issue. He had said he called Rajan and Payal and all of them together killed Poonam.
The court order stated, “Having regard to the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, the court is of the considered view that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt for the offences with which the accused have been charge sheeted. All the circumstances relied upon by the prosecution are proved beyond reasonable doubt and consequently the chain of circumstances is so complete so as to not leave any doubt in the mind of this court that it is the accused and accused alone who committed the offence in question and the same was committed in furtherance of common intention”.