Ludhiana: Woman murdered by employer’s nephew, body found in kitchen

Victim had been missing for 2 days; accused confesses to crime, says he killed her as she saw him trying to murder his aunt, says Police

The body of a 65-year-old woman missing for the past two days was found in a neighbour’s kitchen on Sunday in Lallpura village of Samrala. While the role of the owner of the house is under scanner, the police have arrested his nephew Jasmeet Singh of Machhiwara. The Samrala police searched the house on Saturday following a missing complaint by the victim’s kin, but found nothing.

Victim’s kin yielding about her murder in Ludhiana on Sunday. The woman was employed as a house help at the neighbour’s home. (HT Photo)

According to police, accused Jasmeet had attempted to murder his aunt Charanjit Kaur by strangulating her to rob cash from the house but she managed to escape and fled outside. As victim Surinder Kaur, who worked as a domestic help, was an eyewitness to the incident, the accused strangled her to death and hid the body.

When Surinder’s family initiated a search, Jasmeet Singh joined them and acted normal.

The matter came to the fore on Sunday after the son of house owner Rajinder Singh noticed the body and raised an alarm. The Samrala police initiated an investigation and arrested Jasmeet Singh, who confessed the crime.

Samrala station-house (SHO) officer sub-inspector Rao Varinder Singh said that Jasmeet, 35, is jobless and debt-ridden. He came to know that his uncle Rajinder Singh sold land to send his son abroad and kept the cash in the house. Jasmeet hatched a conspiracy to rob the cash to pay his debt. On Saturday, he attempted to murder his aunt. When she raised an alarm after fleeing from the house, no one took her seriously as “she is dull-witted due to age”, he said.

The SHO added that a case under sections 302, 307 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the accused. Kin of victim alleged role of Rajinder Singh in the murder and he is also under police scanner.

Victim’s son Gurjant Singh said that his mother used to work as a domestic help in the house of Rajinder Singh. When she did not return home on May 17, they started to search for her and asked Rajinder Singh as well.

Gurjant added that his father Kartar Singh visited the house of Rajinder, but returned after finding him scolding his wife. Gurjant Singh alleged that Rajinder Singh was involved in the murder.

Victim’s husband had tea in the house murder

According to the SHO, when Charanjit Kaur fled outside, she met Surinder Kaur’s husband Kartar Singh, who was holding a cold drink bottle. She requested him for the cold drink as she was struggling to breathe and later invited Kartar in the house for a cup of tea.