Police crack NRI murder case, 2 held

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 30

With the arrest of two persons, the city police have cracked the blind murder case of 60-year-old France-based NRI Jagjit Singh, whose brutally stabbed body was found in his ancestral house at Shimlapuri on September 29.

The accused have been identified as Kushal Kumar, alias Mintu, and his sister-in-law Vina Rani. Efforts are on to nab the third accused identified as Manoj Kumar, who is on the run.

Mintu, who was working as an accountant with a leader of the ruling regime, was zeroed in long ago, but he was evading arrest due to alleged political patronage.

The duo was arrested from Partap Chowk on November 26 and during interrogation the accused reportedly confessed to have killed the NRI.

The police first collected all evidence against the accused and today decided to conduct a press conference. Monetary dispute was the reason behind the murder. Mintu told the police that they had purchased a 50 sq yard house in Janta Nagar and took Rs 10.8 lakh on interest from Jagjit Singh.

Mintu said Jagjit had kept the registry of the house on a condition that he would return the land documents on receiving the whole amount. Mintu claimed that they had returned Rs 4 lakh to the victim.

For the past few months, Jagjit Singh was pressing the family to return the entire amount or else he would sell the house. Mintu said he was left with no option, but to eliminate Jagjit Singh.

Mintu involved his sister-in-law Vina Rani and friend Manoj Kumar of Transport Nagar in the plan and allegedly killed the NRI on September 29.

ADCP, Investigation, Gurtajinder Singh Aulakh said Mintu had confessed that before entering the house he had consumed heroin.

The police have recovered the weapon used in the crime from the Tajpur road. ADCP Aulakh said CCTV camera played a pivotal role in cracking the case.