Crime of Passion: Bathinda man murders girlfriend, dumps body in suitcase

Bathinda police on Friday claimed to have solved the murder of a young woman whose partially burnt body was found stuffed in a suitcase near Behman Diwana village on the Bathinda-Malout highway on February 11 afternoon.

The accused, identified as the victim’s boyfriend, has been arrested.

The knife used in the killing and the car used to transport the body have also been recovered.

 The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Sapna, alias Mallika, a resident of Bagha Purana in Moga district, who was living in Bathinda. The accused, 35-year-old Prince Kumar of Gulabgarh village, reportedly resides in the Surkhpeer area and is a drug addict.

The exact cause of the murder is not yet known, which the police said will be clarified during further interrogation.

Bathinda SSP Jyoti Yadav said the accused confessed to killing Sapna on the morning of February 9 at his residence and keeping the body there for two days.

She said, “The victim was married, but perhaps she had not informed her family. The accused first stabbed her to death, then attempted to burn the body in a suitcase to destroy evidence. Fearing detection, he kept the body at his house for two days before placing it in a new suitcase and dumping it near Behman Diwana on the intervening night of February 10-11. After the murder, the accused even got a tattoo of the girl on his chest, possibly to seek sympathy.”

The SSP further said police traced the accused after identifying the victim through her face and a tattoo on her body. “We obtained her phone number and call records, which helped us narrow down nearly 15 suspects. On February 7, she was seen with a person later confirmed to be Prince,” she added.

“The investigation indicates a personal motive and a crime of passion. They had been friends for some time and were active on social media. Some personal differences or suspicion may have triggered the act. The deceased was living in a live-in arrangement with someone else. One suitcase was found fully burnt, while a new suitcase was used to transport the body. The accused has no prior criminal record,” she said.

When asked whether the deceased was also a drug addict and how the deceased and accused were earning a living, the SSP said, “Both were not working currently, and how they were making money is a matter of investigation. The viscera report will provide clarity on whether the girl was also using drugs.” 

Meanwhile, sources said that the deceased’s husband was lodged in jail in connection with a drug case.