The victim was identified as one Dhananjaya, 23, a native of Bihar.A 58-year-old woman, along with three others, has been arrested by Chandigarh Police for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a man in Mauli Jagran who allegedly was involved in an extra-marital affair with the woman’s daughter.
Police said that the son-in-law of the woman was also allegedly involved in the crime and is at present absconding.
The police identified the arrested accused as Kamlesh Devi, 58, Raj Bahadur, 29, Amar Nath, 27, and Sanjay, 25. Kamlesh Devi’s son-in-law Nem Pal is currently on the run and a manhunt had been launched to arrest him.
The victim was identified as one Dhananjaya, 23, a native of Bihar. Dhananjaya, police said, had been living in with the daughter of Kamlesh Devi Shallu for the last three months in Mauli village.
As per investigators, Dhananjaya was kidnapped and murdered on September 29. The man’s decomposed body was recovered from a secluded forest area in Morni Hills on October 23. Shallu, who was a witness to the crime, has already recorded her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC before a magistrate. As per details, Shallu was already married to Nem Pal when she decided to go live in with Dhananjaya. Shallu and Nem Pal have four kids.
Sources said that Shallu had lodged a police complaint in connection to the mysterious disappearance of Dhananjay right after the incident. However, the complaint was turned into an FIR only when the Dhananjaya’s elder brother, Ranjay Kumar, came from Bihar on October 17.
Shallu then allegedly told Ranjay about her relationship with Dhananjay and also about the opposition she faced from everyone, including her husband Nem Pal, and her mother Kamlesh Devi.
She also told Ranjay that she had seen Dhananjaya being assaulted by Kamlesh, Nem Pal, and three others at her house in Mauli Jagran before being bundled in an auto and taken away.
Later, when she asked Nem Pal about the fate of Dhananjaya, she was told that he had been put on a train to Bihar and told never to come back or get in touch with her.
“Shallu believed her husband, who is an alcoholic and cruel towards her. The probe so far has revealed that Shallu was unhappy in her marriage and was looking to get out. Dhananjay had proved a suitable match for her. He started taking care of her and her children. He opened a bank account for her and her children. Shallu started living with Dhananjay separately,” Inspector Jaiver Singh, SHO PS Mauli Jagran, said.
A case was registered at Mauli Jagran police station. The autorickshaw, which was used in the kidnapping, has also been recovered, police said.