Tenant kills woman landlord in Solan, attempts suicide

In a shocking incident from Solan district, a 56-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her Nepalese tenant in Salogra area near Mathia village. The accused reportedly attempted suicide after committing the crime.

The deceased has been identified as Santosh (56), wife of Sita Ram, a resident of Mathia village. The accused has been identified as Prem (36), son of Tej Kumar, originally from Nepal and currently residing as a tenant in the same village.

The incident came to light when Santosh’s son, Devinder Kumar, began searching for his mother after she did not respond to calls. Suspecting something amiss, he approached the rented room where Prem was staying. Despite repeated calls and knocks, there was no response. Eventually, he broke open the door — only to find his mother lying dead, while Prem was found unconscious nearby.

Devinder immediately alerted the police. A team from the local police station, along with forensic experts from Junga, reached the spot and recovered the body. Evidence was collected from the scene for further investigation.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Solan Gaurav Singh confirmed the incident and said a case has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023.

“Prima facie, it appears that the accused committed the crime under the influence of alcohol,” Singh said. “After the murder, he consumed some form of pesticide, which rendered him unconscious. He is currently undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla.”

Police officials said all possible angles are being investigated, including the motive behind the attack and the events leading up to it. The accused will be questioned once his condition stabilises.