2 held for Amritsar double murder
PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 15
With the arrest of two youths, the city police solved the double murder in which a woman and her daughter were killed at Darshan Avenue here on February 6.
Those arrested were identified as Pankaj Sharma and his friend Neeraj Kumar, both residents of Guru Gobind Singh Nagar in Chheharta. Pankaj is a friend of deceased Gagan Verma’s son Ridham Verma. He was a frequent visitor to the house.
Police Commissioner SS Srivastav said from the initial stages the police suspected the role of an insider as there were no signs of forced entry to the house. He said Pankaj needed money and therefore he went there with a bottle of chloroform with an intention of loot. He said the police also recovered some cash, gold ornaments and camera stolen from the house from their possession. The police also recovered the bike used in the crime.
Answering media queries about suspected rape attempt, Srivastava said though it was apparent from the circumstances that the accused attempted to rape the victims, but it was yet to be corroborated with the autopsy and forensic examination reports.
According to police sources, the accused tried to rape Gagan Verma after making her unconscious with chloroform but they got f rightened considering her dead. They also tried to rape Shivnaini. Later, in order to destroy the evidence, they set the bodies afire.
Bid to burn bodies
Gagan Verma and her daughter Shivnaini were found murdered at their residence in Darshan Avenue, near Golden Gate, in Amritsar in the wee hours of February 6. Before fleeing, the killers put the house on fire in a bid to burn the bodies. The matter came to light when a neighbour called the fire brigade. Gagan was a clerk in a government school in Jandiala, while Shivnaini was a student. Gagan’s son Ridham had gone to Canada a couple of months ago.
