Sangrur man, friends held for bid to kill pregnant wife

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, January 10

Five days after suspected robbers fired at a woman who was seven months pregnant, leading to an abortion, the Moonak police have arrested her husband, Sandip Singh (24), and his two friends for plotting and executing the attack.

Sandip, a resident of Banga village, had claimed that he and his wife, Rimpa Rani (26), were returning home from Ratta Khera village (Fatehabad, Haryana) on January 5 when they were attacked near the Ghaggar bridge by motorcycle-borne robbers. He had stated that the assailants, whose faces were covered, looted money and gold from his wife and fired at her before fleeing.

Mandeep Sidhu, SSP, said: “During our investigation, it came to light that Sandip wanted to kill his wife so that he could marry his paramour. He asked his friends, Rajat (23) and Surinder (20), to shoot her with a pistol provided by him. Since both used to borrow money from him, they agreed. As per the plan, Sandip stopped his Swift car near the bridge to enable the duo to commit the crime.”

The police have recovered the pistol, a cartridge, Rs 8,000 and a gold ring.

Sandip is pursuing graduation, Rajat dropped out after Class XII and Surinder is doing a diploma course. Sandip and Rimpa had got married a year ago.

“Moonak is only 3 km from crime scene, yet Sandip took his wife to Tohana, over 20 km away, driving his car slowly so that she might bleed to death on the way,” the SSP added.

A case has been registered under Sections 302 (murder), 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC. Rimpa is under treatment at a Hisar hospital.

Her father, Shamsher Singh, a resident of Ratta Khera village, said, “Sandip must be hanged as he was responsible for the death of his unborn child. We are yet to tell our daughter that her husband got it done.”