Married woman, lover killed in Fatehabad village

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Fatehabad, July 14

A case of honour killing came to light at Jandli Kalan village in Fatehabad district today. A 35-year-old married woman and her 22-year old lover, both from the dominant Jat community of the village, were killed the woman’s kin.

Nirmala and Vishwajeet were suffocated in a water tank by Nirmala’s husband, brother and three other members from the in-law’s family on the intervening night of July 10 and 11; their bodies were then thrown into the Sirsa branch of the Bhakra canal near Kajal head.

The police recovered Nirmala’s body from the canal today, while search was to locate the Vishwajeet’s body. Fatehabad SP Sangeeta Kalia told mediapersons that Nirmala, from Samain village of Fatehabad was married to Darshan Singh of Jandli Kalan for 15 years and the couple had an 11-year-old son.

On May 6 this year, Nirmala eloped with Vishwajeet, and her family lodged a police report in this connection. The police arrested the couple on June 2 after they returned from Hyderabad, where they lived when they eloped.

After her statement before a magistrate under section 164 of the CrPC, Nirmala was sent to Nari Niketan. “However, the woman’s in-laws brought her back from the Nari Niketan and the case was cancelled on June 6,” Kalia said.

On the intervening night of July 10-11, the woman’s husband, her brother and three others killed Nirmala and then Vishwajeet. The accused then took the bodies to Kajal head of the Sirsa branch of Bhakra canal and disposed the bodies there. “We arrested Nirmala’s husband Darshan Singh, brother-in-law Joginder, father-in-law Ram Kumar, Darshan Singh’s uncle Shish Pal and Nirmala’s brother Surinder for the two murders. The police also fished out Nirmala’s body from the canal today,” Kalia said.

She said the accused told the police that Nirmala and Vishwajeet had planned to elope once again on the night they were murdered. Kali said divers have been deployed to recover Vishwajeet’s body from the canal.