Couple arrested from Abohar for murdering NRI in Sriganganagar

Abohar, December 19

A police team from Sriganganagar has arrested a couple who had taken shelter after allegedly killing an NRI and burning the body in a plastic container on Sunday.

Additional SP Satnam Singh Mehndiratta told the media late Monday evening that the deceased identified as Varinder Singh Rathod (50), a resident of Chak 7-Z village, was a supervisor in a company in Sri Lanka. He had come to make arrangements for his daughter’s marriage.

Rohit Bawri (23), a vendor, and his wife Jasmine (23) have been arrested for the brutal murder. Jasmine has her parents at Abohar. After marriage with Rohit, she has been working as a dancer with an orchestra group in Sriganganagar.

Rathod had coincidentally met Jasmine three-four months back at Gol Bazar in Sriganganagar at night. She said she needed money to go to meet her parents in Abohar. Rathod gave her Rs 1,000. Meanwhile, both of them exchanged their mobile phone numbers. Later they met several times. Jasmine came to know that Rathod has earned a lot of money and his daughter’s marriage is fixed on January 30.

Jasmine reportedly called Rathod to her rented house in Krishna Kunj Colony Sriganganagar on Saturday night to blackmail him under the guise of illegal relations. Rohit and Jasmine started beating him and snatched his purse and ATM card. He was forced to disclose the password and then murdered by hitting at his head with a strong object. The couple reportedly tied the dead body with an iron wire to pack the same in a plastic container. Rohit went to an ATM and drew Rs 40,000 from Rathod’s account.

Later, the couple allegedly arranged a hand-cart, carried the plastic container to an isolated plot in Vishnu Nagari and burnt the plastic container containing the body.

On Sunday morning police were informed that a body was burning. Cops reached the site, controlled the fire but it was not possible to recognise the deceased. Later, a member of Rathod’s family lodged his missing report at the Purani Abadi police station. Police today succeeded in cracking the murder by examining the calls made to Rathod on Saturday. Jasmine denied having any physical relations with Rathod.