Fleeing in bus, food stain did Manali murder accused in

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Kullu, May 17

The alleged accused in the recent Manali murder case was reportedly a food delivery boy in Mathura and the duo had known each other for a few years. Sources said there were marks on the neck of the victim, aged 26, and it was suspected that Vinod Thakur (23) of Palwal district in Haryana had strangulated her.

Sources said the accused took the step “due to misunderstanding between them”. Kullu SP Karthikeyan Gokulachandran said further investigation was on to determine as to how, when and why the crime was committed.

The Aadhaar card of the victim was registered in the hotel, but there was no identity of the accused and neither his name was confirmed. Even the CCTVs installed in the hotel were not functioning. According to sources, the police got a clue that there was a yellow stain of vegetable on his shirt and even phone call details, besides other evidence, proved helpful for the police.

The police nabbed the accused after he fled the hotel and was travelling in an HRTC bus, which was stopped for checking at a naka on the border of Kullu and Mandi districts. He was reportedly caught on the basis of a stain on his shirt and on identification by the taxi driver who had taken the duo on a tour to Sissu.

The victim from Bhopal was allegedly murdered by her companion with whom she had checked in a hotel in Manali on May 13. It was while checking out that the hotel staff alerted the police after they got suspicious over the unusually heavy bag he put in the boot of the taxi. The accused fled before the police was informed by the staff.