Police step up probe in double murder case

Jaswant Shetra

Jagraon, February 19

The police have intensified efforts to solve the mystery shrouding the killing of senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Goel and his wife Shimla Devi. The local police have failed to crack this high-profile double murder case even though more than two and a half years have passed since the tragic killing of the elderly couple took place.

Goel (75) and his wife Shimla Devi (70) were stabbed to death by an unidentified assailant on the night of May 14, 2014, while they were sleeping at their house located on Railway Road, Jagraon. However, the couple’s 19-year-old granddaughter Shaguna Gupta, who had come to meet them from Panchkula a day earlier, escaped unhurt. She was also attacked by the assailant but she escaped by locking herself in a room. The incident had rocked the whole city.

Following the gruesome killing of the couple, the local police had formed a special investigation team (SIT) comprising top police officials to solve the case. A few days later, the local police had even released a sketch of the suspect on the basis of information obtained from Shaguna, who had seen the assailant.

Goel was a former president of the Jagraon Municipal Council. He was also a three-time Congress councillor while his wife was a retired government schoolteacher. The couple owned prime properties in Jagraon and Ludhiana and initially, the police were also probing the possibility of some property dispute behind the killing. But it has not reached any conclusion so far. 

Investigation has made little progress till now and the police have failed to track the accused so far. 

Investigation has been hampered by the transfer of many police officials. 

A police team, led by DSP-Jagraon Rachpal Singh Dhindsa, again visited the crime scene a couple of days ago. 

Dhindsa said the police were continually working on this case. 

“The police have been probing this case from various angles. We have some classified information and hopefully, we will be able to solve the case soon,” he said, refusing to divulge further details.