Elderly couple found murdered in Ambala

Ambala, June 28

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An elderly couple was found murdered at their residence in the Saha segment of Ambala yesterday.

The deceased has been identified as Subedar Major (retd) Diwan Singh (80) and Surender Kaur (75). The deceased hail from Pilkhani village. A property dispute is said to be the reason for the murder.

Children of the deceased live in Dehradun. After the couple didn’t respond to their phone calls, their family members asked some relatives in Ambala Cantonment. When the relatives reached their house, they found the couple dead.

The relatives said they called the police repeatedly, but received no response. Unhappy over police inaction, the family and villagers blocked the Saha road for nearly an hour. Later, they lifted the blockade after senior police officials reached the spot. The condition of the bodies suggest the couple were killed over 48 hours ago.

Harvinder Singh, Diwan Singh’s younger son, said: “Nearly a week ago, my father had come to Dehradun to get his medicine. He had told us that he faced a threat to his life from some people, including our neighbours and relatives, in Saha and Pilkhani due to some property dispute.”

“My father had purchased a plot in Saha after retirement and some people were not happy about it. A complaint was also lodged in the past in this regard,” he said.

Anil Kumar, DSP, Barara, said a case had been registered. The family had mentioned the names of five persons in the complaint. Sources said the police had taken the accused in custody.

Abhishek Jorwal, SP, said: “The couple was most probably killed on June 25. Though the exact cause of the death will be ascertained after the post-mortem report, prima facia it appears that they were strangled and a hammer was used in the crime.”

The bodies were handed over to the family.