Kidnapping, murder of real estate firm employee solved, five in police net

Tribune News Service

Mohali, June 22

With the arrest of five persons, the police claimed to have solved the kidnapping and murder case of Varun Sondhi, a real estate firm employee in Sector 82. The police also recovered a car, five motorcycles, two scooters and an iPhone from their possession.

The suspects have been identified as Patiala residents Binder Singh (25) and Gurpreet Singh (24), Sohana residents Gurdeep Singh, alias Gaggi (29), and Kuldeep Singh (26) and Dera Bassi resident Ravinder Singh, alias Ravi (26).

A case under Sections 302, 365 and 201 of the IPC was registered at the Sohana police station on June 19.

On June 3, Panchkula resident Rakesh Kumar gave an application regarding the disappearance of his son Varun Sondhi at the Sohana police station. A case under Section 346 of the IPC was registered against unknown persons the same day. On June 9, the police recovered an unidentified body from Bhatiras village near Banur.

On June 1, one of the suspects, Binder Singh, came to know that Sondhi would leave for home from the Sector 82 office with Rs8 lakh around 5 pm. He, along with his accomplices, hatched a conspiracy and waylaid him near the Chhat village light point.

The suspects got into his car, threatened with him a weapon and kidnapped him. They strangulated Varun to death at night and dumped his body on the banks of SYL canal. The weapon used in the kidnapping was also dumped in a field. The suspects took his car and mobile phone and returned to Chhat village where they distributed the money among themselves.

The police said the suspects were involved in vehicle thefts since long in Mohali, Dera Bassi, Zirakpur and the adjoining areas.