Jammu Crime Branch arrests Haryana man for Mumbai woman’s murder

The Jammu Crime Branch has arrested a man in connection with the murder of a woman in the Sainik Colony area of the city last month. The incident was initially passed off as an accident, allegedly with the involvement of some police officials who have since been suspended.

The arrested suspect has been identified as Sher Singh, a resident of Hisar, Haryana. He was taken into custody by the Crime Branch from the Gandhi Nagar area on Friday. The case is linked to an alleged flesh trade operating in the Sainik Colony area.

The Crime Branch also visited the residence of a local resident in the Channi Himmat area for questioning today; however, the suspect was not present at the time.

The incident dates back to August 21, when Mehjabeen Sheikh, 30, a resident of Mumbai, along with her sister Fatima Akil, 21, and Jaspreet Kour, 28, of Ludhiana, were admitted to a private nursing home in Channi Himmat with injuries. A police team was immediately dispatched to the hospital to investigate the matter. Mehjabeen later succumbed to her injuries at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.

It was revealed that local police had attempted to misrepresent the bullet injuries as resulting from a road accident. Consequently, the case was transferred to the Crime Branch. Three police officials — Inspector Deepak Pathania and Sub-Inspectors Wasim Bhatti and Rohit Sharma — who allegedly tried to cover up the murder, have been suspended.

Reliable sources indicate that after questioning these three officials, the involvement of other police personnel has also emerged. “However, a thorough investigation is needed to uncover the full truth, as the three suspended officers may be misleading the investigators,” sources said.

Fatima Akil, who was admitted to GMC Jammu with injuries, was discharged on September 20. She has been questioned by the Crime Branch to clarify the circumstances surrounding her sister’s murder.

The inquest proceedings were converted into a murder case under Sections 103(1)/109/332(b) BNS and 3/25 of the Arms Act at the Channi Himmat police station before the case was handed over to the Crime Branch.