Gurugram, Oct 20 A former Army man and two hitmen hired by him have been arrested for allegedly murdering his cousin’s 35-year-old wife over a land dispute in Dohla village near Sohna here, police said on Tuesday.
The main accused, Sandeep, a resident of Dohla village, was in the Indian Army but was court-martialled and dismissed from service in 2023, police said. He is being questioned after being remanded to police custody for four days.
Sandeep was arrested on Monday, while his associates, Anuj (29) and Avnish (30), were arrested on Tuesday, police said.
A senior police officer said the case was solved within 12 hours of the woman’s last rites.
The deceased, Neetu, wife of Prashant, was found dead inside her house on October 16. Her hands were tied, and her mouth and face were covered with tape, police said.
According to the complaint filed by her husband, he had gone to a school in Garhi Bazidpur to drop off his children around 7.45 am on October 16, leaving his wife alone at home.
When he returned with the children around 2.30 pm after picking them up from school, he found her lying dead inside the house. He removed the tape covering her mouth, untied her hands and took her to the Government Hospital in Sohna, where doctors declared her dead.
Based on his complaint, a case was registered against unidentified persons at Sadar Sohna police station.
Naveen Sharma, ACP (Crime), said preliminary interrogation revealed that Sandeep wanted to facilitate the sale of land belonging to Prashant.
Sandeep had also paid Rs 1 lakh as an advance under an agreement to purchase the land. However, Neetu considered the agreed price too low and persuaded her husband to return the money, allegedly prompting Sandeep to eliminate her, Sharma said.
Sandeep had earlier served in the Indian Army and was posted in Roorkee, where he became acquainted with Anuj, who was working as a contractual cook. He later met Avnish through Anuj, police said.
Anuj currently works in the electricity sector, while Avnish is employed as a delivery boy with a quick commerce platform, they said.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that they had conducted a recce of the woman’s house on August 31.
On October 16, Anuj and Avnish travelled from Roorkee to Dohla village. Sandeep and his associates reached the woman’s house, but returned without carrying out their plan as she was talking on the phone, Sharma said.
Later, around 10.05 am, Sandeep and Anuj allegedly entered the house, while Avnish remained outside to keep watch. They had brought tape and rope in a bag carried by Sandeep, he said.
The accused allegedly taped the woman’s mouth, tied her hands with rope and strangled her to death, Sharma said, adding that further questioning was underway.
Anuj was a native of Saloni village in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, currently residing in Roorkee, Haridwar, while Avnish was a resident of Khatka village in Roorkee, Haridwar, police said.
(PTI News)
