The Hindu : New Delhi News : Murder mystery solved

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Murder mystery solved

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 17. A young man was arrested on Monday for allegedly murdering the wife of a head constable with the intention of committing robbery at his official accommodation at Shalimar Bagh police colony in North-West Delhi on August 9. Earlier, the police had said that the deceased had sustained bullet injuries, but later it turned out that they were inflicted by a `scout' knife.

Sampada, wife of Savinder Verma posted at the Daryaganj traffic circle, was found murdered in her bedroom. Initially the police said she had been gunned down. According to them, the jewellery she was wearing was intact. Further investigations revealed that there were ligature marks on the neck. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West Delhi), Sanjay Singh, today said some jewellery and a .32 bore licensed revolver along with live cartridges were also found missing from an almirah.

The police created a special team of investigators to probe the matter. Sampada's brother, Mukesh told the police that he had called her up on August 9 but some unknown person picked up the parallel line. When he enquired about him, Sampada said that person knew Savinder's friend, Ali Sher, who was from Muzaffarnagar. During questioning, Ali Sher disclosed about his contacts who were known to Savinder. The police interrogated them one by one and zeroed in on Dheeraj (19), a labourer, who along with Ali Sher had stayed at Savinder's residence on August 5.

Subsequently, a team was sent to Kandhla in Uttar Pradesh and Safidon in Haryana to look for Dheeraj. On Monday, the police received a tip-off that Dheeraj had gone to Kela Godown railway station to meet a receiver of stolen property. Accordingly, the police laid a trap and detained Dheeraj. During interrogation, he confessed to having murdered Sampada to commit robbery.

On the fateful day, he went to Savinder's house when only his wife was there. In the meantime, her brother called, after which Sampada called Savinder. He asked her to tell Dheeraj to come later upon which he picked up an altercation with her. Thereafter, Dheeraj overpowered her and tried to strangle her. To make sure that she was dead, he stabbed her several times in the chest. Mr. Singh claimed that while fleeing, Dheeraj took away some jewellery and a revolver kept in an almirah and also exchanged his slippers with those of Savinder.

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