Three held for murder of elderly couple in Theog

Tribune News service

Shimla, January 28

The police today arrested three persons for murdering an elderly couple at Matiyana in Theog subdivision of Shimla district on January 25.

The arrested persons have been identified as Nikhil Chandel (21) from Shilaru in Matiana (a student of BBA), Nitin Verma (18) from Sunni (a hotel management student), and Rakshak Khachi (20) from Nagal Devi in Theog (a student of BBA).

The police traced the last call on the mobile phone of the deceased couple and tracked the number following which Nikhil was arrested at a barrier in Sanjauli.

SP Shimla DW Negi said the other two accused were arrested from Nagal Devi and Bharari on the basis of information extracted from Nikhil during interrogation.

All three students had allegedly gone to the couple for purchasing hashish (cannabis). They were under the influence of a psychotropic drug (Nitrosun10). After an altercation over price, they attacked the couple with an axe, sickle and knife and hacked their neck and mutilated their faces, said Negi.

This is the first case in Shimla district in which drug addict students have indulged in the heinous crime. Meanwhile, the police have also arrested a woman running a tea stall near Dhalli sabzi mandi for selling charas to school and college students.

Her stall was raided and during a search by SHO Dhalli, 60 gram charas was recovered. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered.